Rage Against The Dying Light
by Zanfan22
Summary: A young Bart Allen takes on a quest to investigate a threat against the Twin Kingdoms ruled by King Barry. Along the way he discovers other kingdoms are also in danger and takes it upon himself to recruit allies in order to defeat a threat known only as, The Light. Medieval AU
1. Chapter 1

"Arise!" The boy who was kneeling stood to his feet, his eyes met the blue ones of the king. "Bartholomew Allen, if you accept this oath you swear to protect and serve the honor of the Twin Kingdoms. Do you accept?"

"Aye your majesty." His majesty, King Barry walked forward. He took a sword offered by his nephew on his left. Bart bowed his head and held out his right hand. The king placed the handle in the boy's hand and clasped his own on top of it.

"Then young Bartholomew, I knight you as a defender of the Kingdoms!" Bart raised his head and then bowed to his majesty. Clapping erupted in the hall from the other knights and the servants. Bart's eyes drifted to his cousin Wally who stood next to the king. Wally had a wide grin on his face as he clapped. Bart faced the small crowd for a few moments before it began to disperse. Several knights came and patted the boy on the back with congratulations. Soon the hall was empty, save for the new knight, the older knight, and the king.

"Well Bart, you did it!" Wally said. He slapped Bart on the back, sending the younger forward.

"Wallace, be careful!" King Barry scolded. He _gently_ laid a hand on Bart's shoulder. "Well done Bart. You've certainly earned the position."

"Thank you your majesty."

"The ceremony is over, no need for formalities."

"Okay your- grandfather."

"Better. Now…" Barry's eyes gleamed, and a smirk formed. "What do you two think of raiding the kitchen in… celebration."

Wally and Bart looked at each other before dashing down the steps to the door. "RACE YOU!" As Barry was a king of two kingdoms he did not run, but instead walked with purpose.

* * *

"Barry! Bartholomew! Wallace! What do you hooligans think you're doing?!" The king and his knights began to panic as the pointed steps came closer. The guilty parties peeked out from underneath the table they hid under. Bart's eyes followed a purple satin skirt up to a pair of bright green eyes. Queen Iris. And she did not look pleased.

"Oh darling!" Barry began to crawl out from under the table. "What a surprise, why the boys and I we were going to come fine you but-"

"Don't tell me." Iris said, Barry stopped. "You got hungry along the way."

"Why dearest, you know me so well!" A guilty smile light up the king's face.

"Tell me this, why are you hiding underneath a table? It's a rather inappropriate position for a king."

Wally spoke up hesitantly, "Privacy? You're constantly complaining about how pigs have better table manners than us!" Iris sidestepped closer to her nephew and rubbed some frosting off of his freckled face.

"Or could it be because you've gotten into the cake I had made for Bart's celebration dinner!"

That was it, they were dead. Bart nestled deeper under the heavy table. Maybe he could sneak out the other side and… "Bart, come out. I know you're under there!" Or maybe not. He crawled out best he could with his hand covered in cake. Iris frowned at him for a moment, then she began to fight the curl of her lips. Her hand covered her mouth as she cleared her throat and tried to stay upset. But a fit of giggles overtook her. As her giggles continued Barry and Wally began to chuckle along nervously. Bart joined in, he had no idea what they were all laughing about. Perhaps their impending doom.

"Bart," Iris began, but she couldn't keep going. Her crown slipped slightly on her red hair as her head dipped. She stood straight and fixed her crown. "You have frosting all over your face and in your hair!" Bart reached his clean hand up and felt the tips of his hair. Indeed his hand came down covered in chocolate frosting. He licked his hand, no use wasting perfectly good frosting! He quickly stopped at the frown he received from her majesty. Iris sighed.

"Please, all of you come out. Dinner is about to be served." She gave Barry a pointed look, "If you haven't spoiled it."

"Don't worry," He smiled and patted his stomach. "I always have room for dinner!" The king and queen began to walk towards the dining area, leaving Wally and Bart with the half-devoured cake. The two red heads looked at each other, then slowly glancing at the retreating couple. Bart's hand began to reach slowly for another piece of cake…

"Boys!" They both jumped. "Go clean yourselves up and then hurry to dinner! I'll send someone to take care of the cake." Iris's voice called. The two sighed before regretfully crawling out from under the table. Bart stretched slightly, then went to find something to clean his face with.

* * *

 _Rocks came hurtling closer. Panting. Find an escape!_

 _The shouting was coming closer! Nowhere to hide, where to hide?_

" _αηδιαστικός" They shout, Pain, a rock met its mark. Where to hide? Getting tired…_

 _Light, from above… get out of the water! Swimming faster, they won't follow out of the water!_

 _Panting, Lungs hurting. Climb up, higher_

 _They've stopped, it's too dry. Rest a moment, just a moment…_

* * *

Bart shot up, breathing hard. He cautiously glanced around. It was indeed his room at the castle. His grandfather's castle. He was safe. Moonlight shone threw one of the many windows, illuminating the room. The light was comforting. A tapestry with his grandfather's coat of arms bearing a bolt of lightning hung on the wall in front of him. It helped further cement the feeling of safety. He tried to fall back asleep, be after a while he decided he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. Instead he pulled on his boots and fastened his heavy cloak to take a walk.

The dew outside was just beginning to form. Bart's mind began to slow as he wandered one of Queen Iris's many gardens. The nightmares though less frequent still came quite often. Visions of towns being pillaged, his family being dragged away, and the worst was watching Wally fade into nothing. Bart rubbed his eyes trying to rid his brain of the images.

After walking for a bit longer he came to a pavilion with well-tended vines covering the sides and roof. A simple stone bench sat in the center. He made his way inside and sat down with a quiet sigh. His head was still pounding and his sweat was beginning to turn cold. Barry of course knew about the nightmares, but not about how often they happened. He had told Bart to feel free to come and get him if he couldn't sleep. Bart did a few times, but he felt bad waking the king up too often. The man had more important things to do than sit with a scared teenager. He was almost an adult! He shouldn't need anyone to hold him after a nightmare.

Soft footsteps coming around the back of the pavilion shook Bart out of his thoughts. It was probably only a guard on patrol. But habit caused the boy to be poised to run. He internally cursed to himself at having not brought his sword.

The footsteps paused on his left. "Who's in there?" The person called softly. Bart recognized the voice. He stood up and peered around.

"Sorry Sir Garrick," He replied. "I couldn't fall back asleep. I thought a walk might help."

Sir Jay Garrick, captain of the guard came around to the front of the vine covered structure. His hand that gripped his sword handle relaxed and a small smile formed on his face. Small wrinkles from years of smiling took their shape. "No worries my boy." He stepped into the pavilion. "Just doing my job." Bart gave a small nod and a silence fell. He wondered if he should head back inside and not bother Jay. But Jay spoke first.

"It appears your walk hasn't done you any good. What do you say we go on a run?"

Bart's body stiffened in attention. He nodded and the two began treading to the training course Jay had designed for people with their abilities. Jay Garrick was gifted with incredible speed. Doctors, mages, and priests could not divulge where the power came from. He used his increased physical and mental speed to become one of the mightiest knights that ever graced the Twin Kingdoms. To his surprise the young prince Barry also possessed the gift at even greater potential. He taught the prince to control and maintain his powers. Later he did the same for Wally after his accident and even assisted Bart shortly after his arrival.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the pair had reached the grounds. Jay removed his winged silver helm and heavier pieces of his armor while Bart flung his cloak onto a rail. The beginning of the course was a two mile straight stretch of road before curving into obstacles to maneuver. Bart knelt into position as Jay did the same.

"One," the boy counted. "Two…"

"Three, GO!" Jay finished. And in a flash, the two were gone from immediate sight. Bart's tensions began to drain as he focused on staying on an even pace with the captain. The straight and easy road never took long to complete, they were already rounding the curve. Wooden poles flew by as quick glimpses as the pair weaved them. Jay gained a few feet on Bart and he kicked over a pole causing it to fall in front of the younger. Bart leaped without a second to spare.

"What was that about?" He shouted.

Jay merely glanced back with a wide smile. "Just keeping it interesting!"

Bart grinned and pushed himself faster. Two could play at that game.

* * *

 _Where did these nets come from? Who's shouting? Have to get away…_

 _Too hot, too dry, need to get into the water. Pain, must hide. Boats, danger! MUST GET AWAY!_

 _Laughter and more shouting, too loud. Help! A boot, pain._

 _Darkness._


	2. Chapter 2

Since his official knighting Bart was rather busy. His training regime had almost doubled with the new expectations of his position as a trainee. But as Wally was in the same group it did make the sore muscles afterward somewhat worth it. The older redhead was willing to give Bart extra assistance and tips for survival. Being exhausted afterwards did help keep some of the nightmares away, but enough came through that they left Bart weary during the day.

Wally did suspect something was wrong. Bart once laid too long on the ground after being bested and knocked down in a spar. Wally had rushed over and had him sit out the rest of the session. The older boy also frequently commented on the dark circles under his eyes and joked about Bart running around the country each night. Bart simply smiled and made a dry comment on how nice the weather in Star Kingdom was.

Despite the common obstacle of exhaustion, his training was progressing quite well. He was younger and smaller than most of the new knights, but he could keep up, for the most part. His super speed made up for his lack of brute strength. Sword sparring sessions were his least favorite as he could barely balance the sword itself let alone attack someone. The others joked about his 'chicken bones' and he laughed with them. He wished he would hit a growth spurt already so the others would take him seriously in combat. It was unlikely going to help if it happened. His body had been deprived of too much food during other key growing periods so he probably wouldn't grow too much more.

Sir Jay complimented him on his advancements in tactical planning and maneuvers. Bart smiled and politely thanked the Elder Knight. But what use is a miniscule knight who can plot a battle on a map but cannot fight one on a battlefield?

* * *

"Bartholomew!" Bart nearly dropped the sword he was sharpening. He turned and saw Queen Iris walking across the training grounds. She didn't look too pleased. Bart wasn't sure what he'd done. He hadn't snuck any sweets from the kitchen lately. Ever since the beginning of his knight training he quit pulling pranks on the servants. Did they have a meal scheduled together? He didn't think they did… Well he was going to find out, she was beside him now.

"Yes your majesty?" He asked hesitantly.

"It's _Iris,_ Bart." She insisted, a concerned look on her face. "We're family!" She brushed off part of the bench he was sitting on and sat down. She lightly smoothed her gown and watched Bart continue to sharpen his sword. They sat in silence for a few moments. He deduced she couldn't be too upset. He was still breathing. As he was about to ask her reasons for coming by she spoke.

"Bart, is everything all right?" He stopped his movements. He didn't have to look up to see her worried eyes.

"Of course your- Iris." He swallowed before setting his sword on the bench. The sunlight gleamed off the blade, casting an illuminated shadow on the dirt. The sword didn't really need to be up kept so diligently since he didn't use it outside the practice spars. But Bart felt like if he couldn't honor the weapon with his skill in battle, he would honor it with care as if it did belong to a great hero.

"Bart," He felt Iris's slender hand on his shoulder. "Barry, Wally, and I are worried. We-"

"I'm keeping up decently with the others!" Bart interrupted. "I mean, maybe I'm not great with a sword or in the spars, but Sir Jay says I'm doing well in tactical training!" He internally began to panic. He couldn't lose this. Everything would be in vain.

"Yes, I know." Iris replied. "But you look so tired all of the time."

Bart managed a small grin. "I am a lot smaller than most of the other guys. I use more energy than them, running with my short legs!"

"And you're not eating as much." She had him there.

As a negative side effect to his speed powers he needed to eat more. A lot more. Back there he nearly starved on a regular basis. Food was scarce enough for _'normal'_ people let alone a kid who ate enough for six grown men. Barry and Wally also needed to eat more but they thought less of it than he did. When he had first arrived and ate dinner with them he had made himself sick with how much he ate. The sight of all the different dishes and the smells of fresh and spicy food overwhelmed his common sense. Despite his hunger being satisfied early on, he kept eating. Survival senses kicked themselves into gear, a little voice asking when they would get food again.

Spending several miserable days in bed without being able to move helped dull the survival sense, slightly.

Thankfully Barry and Iris were patient in helping him. Even to this day the feeling of hunger whispered in his brain each time he ate. But it was getting better. He knew he always had access to food. It was okay. He wasn't going to starve.

At first with his increased training regime he had to eat even more. But the night terrors and stress seemed to have wiped out his appetite, despite the little voice.

"Maybe my eating habits are finally toning down a bit?" He suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

Iris's wan expression dampened it back down. "Bart," she began. Her gaze shifted to the ground, she looked unsure about how to continue. "I-I know we, Barry, Wally, me, aren't your immediate family. In your era we never even had a chance to meet you."

Bart felt her hand move to his chin and pull his eyes to meet hers. "But we're so happy you're here with us, no matter the circumstances. Just remember we-I love you."

She gently pulled him into a hug. Bart let his eyes slip closed and enjoyed the warmth and safety her hold offered.

The queen whispered in his ear. "You don't have to explain right now. But soon? Hmm?"

They pulled away. The queen gave a soft smile, she stood and lightly ruffled the young knight's hair. Her footsteps echoed slightly as she exited the ring.

Bart looked at his sword resting on the bench. It glimmered slightly in the fading light. He stood and sheathed the weapon. He had a duty to fulfill and he was determined to carry it out.

* * *

 **Run faster, they're gaining! The brush offered decent cover for now, but they were sure to catch up soon.**

 **Try to calm down your breathing por el amor de Dios! Shadowy figures with torches run by. It's safe to run.**

 **It's a hot night, dust is flying. Shouting, they're coming!**

 **The torches are getting closer.**

 **Reach the desert, they won't follow. They claim ghosts and demons haunt the sands. Ha.**

 **Just keep moving.**

* * *

Bart walked the dim halls of the castle. He wanted to wish his grandfather and Wally goodnight. 'And to ensure they're still alive!' his brain chimed. 'Shut up!' he hissed at himself. 'It's courtesy!'

He rounded a few more corners, 'How does one round a corner?' he wondered as he approached the heavy oak door that closed off the king's study. It was cracked open, allowing a thin stream of warm lantern light from within to shine into the hall. Wally and Barry's voices drifted out. Good, they were both here. Just as he was about to knock he heard,

"-not sure if Bart can handle the position." The boy froze. What?

"Are you sure he's not just having trouble adjusting? We should give him more time."

"Uncle Barry, he can barely hold himself together in a spar! He does slightly better in hand to hand combat with his speed, but still! I'm worried about him! Maybe you could temporarily suspend his training until he's a little more… together?"

Bart's next breath caught in his throat. He couldn't lose his position! Everything would be ruined! He ran down the hall, picking up speed as he went. He had to get out of here, he tried to be good enough. He zoomed through the courtyard, out the gates, through the town, out into the woods. Trees passed as blurs as he continued to gain speed. Suddenly the blurs came into focus as his foot caught on a root. He skid for a few feet. The impact caused his tunic to tear and his sword to dislodge from its scabbard. The boy pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. 'Face it.' He thought, his breath quickening. 'You're nothing but a useless, cowardly, and stupid little boy!'

* * *

 _Chains… Why are there chains?! Bars… a cage._

 _Footsteps, someone's coming._

 _CRACK, pain_

 _Another crack, more pain_

 _So dry, too dry_

 _Laughing, too loud._

 _Rotten smells,_

 _Darkness._


	3. Chapter 3

Bart didn't realize just how long he'd been sitting in the middle of the forest, until the first rays of sun began to peek through the trees. If he wasn't allowed to train as a knight his coming back would be a waste. The world would fall again. The trouble was he couldn't reveal much of anything to anyone here. Unknown chaos and consequences hung in precocious balance. It would be much simpler if he were only allowed to speak of his mission to the king.

But instead of accomplishing his mission, he was sitting here, in the middle of the forest, throwing the pity party of the century.

He glanced at his is sword, which lay a few feet away in the dirt. Wally had commissioned the weapon to be made as a gift for Bart's fourteenth birthday, when he began to work to enter the knight training. The older boy had believed in him. King Barry had too, Bart wanted to work his way into knighthood instead of receiving it because he was a relation. Maybe it wouldn't have been a problem since most of the kingdom didn't believe he was related to the royal family. He supposed his story of being a grandson from the future was rather faulty and unusual. In the end it was all he had.

He glanced down at his torn and muddied tunic. He'd need to find a way to sneak it to Joan, Jay's wife. Maybe if she wasn't too busy he could stay and chat with her while she worked in it. The older woman was in charge of a majority of the castle staff. She ran a tight ship for Barry and the king before him. Very little escaped her.

Bart enjoyed sitting with her. When he'd first arrived most of the staff avoided him, calling him a "spy" or a "gold digger". They assumed he was pulling an elaborate ruse to make off with the treasury contents or to murder the king and steal the throne. If he wasn't with Wally or Barry and Iris, which was most of the day since they had duties, Bart was rather lonely and left to his own devices. Despite his flamboyant displays and his energetic way of speaking, Bart in reality was shy. His persona was a character, created to put everyone at ease. It didn't work with some of the guards and servants, some would give him nasty or mistrustful looks, while others wouldn't look at him at all. This didn't bother him much, in fact it was nice to be able to blend and not be seen for once.

Until one day he was caught by a wiry, silver haired woman while sneaking food to hoard for later. He waited for the yelling and accusations of thievery, instead she took the slice of bread from his hands and gave him a delicious smelling treat.

"Trust me," she said, "cookies are much better!" A small nibble later caused Bart to be in agreement with her. She even gave him three more, "For later." She said with a wink. He had been entranced by her. He would peek around corners and watch her change the torches in the halls or hide in a tree while she watered the flowers below.

He later learned she knew the entire time that he was following her, she had played along anyway. Finally, one sunny afternoon, he worked up the courage to talk to her. Her silver hair seemed to shine in the sunlight while she knelt planting bright white flowers. He had silently used his speed to come to her side. She must have caught him just out of the corner of her eye because she wasn't startled by his sudden appearance. A wrinkled hand wiped her forehead, then her twinkling eyes met his own.

"Hello there, care to help?" He nodded and knelt down. Very gently she showed him how to dig the perfect hole and how to place the plant so the roots would take hold. He had never seen so much greenery and plants before coming here. He tried to carefully work the seedlings into the small holes, copying the woman. They worked in a comfortable silence. "I'm Joan." The woman said, holding out her hand. Bart stared at it for a moment before gently grasping it.

"I'm Bart." He looked at the dirt for a moment, "Thanks for letting me help."

"I believe I should be thanking you. This got done a lot faster than I originally intended." (She had recently told him that she knew he'd come and help.)

After that afternoon in the garden, Joan and he became quiet friends. He'd help with whatever he could in exchange for her company. In return she'd discuss castle gossip with him or talk about her family. She was married to Jay Garrick, captain of the guard, and they had helped prepare Barry for kingship. The couple had no children of their own, so Barry became an unofficial Garrick.

When she asked about his own family he hesitated. He wasn't sure if she'd accept the story he'd given everyone else. After a few moments of stiff silence she gracefully changed the subject. Subconsciously she seemed to understand the boy. And for that, he was grateful.

 _Thunk!_ Bart leaped to his feet. An arrow had landed right beside him. He dashed and scooped up his sword. His gaze scanned the trees as he turned slowly around. "Show yourself!" He ordered. Of course he didn't sound very commanding, but he tried. Brush at the base of one of the nearby trees rustled. Bart began to advance very slowly, then he could hear a soft _thump_ of someone behind him.

His survival instincts kicked in, he whirled about and bashed his assailant with the pommel of his sword. The other grunted and clutched his stomach, Bart took this opportunity to use his speed and twist the other off his feet. He regretted that almost immediately as he became dizzy and staggered back. It wasn't wise to tap into his power if he hadn't eaten in a while.

"Dang it kid!" His attacker barked. Bart took a moment to observe the man on the ground closer. The scarlet cloak and hood looked familiar. As the figure sat up the hood fell back, revealing piercing blue eyes and rust colored hair. It was Roy Harper, adopted son of one of the lords of Star Kingdom. He was a friend of Wally's, an accomplished archer, and a rumored mercenary. Following redhead stereotypes, he had a short temper. A _very_ short temper.

Roy pushed onto his feet and dusted himself off before shooting a glare at Bart. The younger gulped. This was it, he wasn't able to use his speed to escape, he was dead. "This is the last time I EVER help Wally with anything!"

Bart's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you helping Wally with?"

Roy's eyebrows raised, "Finding you of course!" He went to go pull his arrows from the ground. "I was in the village pub near the castle having a pint, when suddenly I have a lap full of a panicking Wally gasping that you've disappeared! He refused to calm down until I agreed to help search for you." He stood and pushed the arrows back into their quiver. "I might add, I did protest that you'd probably come back in the morning, but no!" He swung the quiver back over his shoulder. "I had to spend an entire night tracking you, though towards the end it wasn't too hard. You left quite a trail."

Bart huffed and sheathed his sword. "Why would you shoot your bow at me? A simple, 'Heya Bart, I'm here to retrieve you' would have been fine!"

Roy grinned, "I thought I'd give you a little scare, besides I wasn't suspecting you to go all ninja on me. Now, do I need to babysit you? Or can you run home by yourself?"

"I can make it back. I _was_ planning to go back, until Will Scarlet with a bow tried to shish kabob me!" Bart began to walk away,

"Hey kid!" He stopped and turned to see an apple flying towards him. He managed to catch it, he looked over at Roy. "Fuel for the road!" With a leap into a tree, the red cloaked man was gone.

Bart devoured the crunchy apple, then prepared to run home and face his family.

* * *

 **It's so hot, the sand burns. Throat dry.**

' _ **If you had simply listened to my suggestions firsthand, you would not be in this scenario.'**_

 **Be quiet! Don't need your advice, just need to keep moving.**

' _ **I estimate in twenty-six minutes you will lose consciousness from lack of proper nourishment and exhaustion.'**_

 **Shut up. Can't stop. A town is close by…**

' _ **You will not succeed. I can sense you are being followed. They are coming.'**_


	4. Chapter 4

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this chapter was delayed. My computer erased everything on it and shut down, so I lost my files. I'm working off another laptop for now, but until I get my laptop looked at updates will be slow, but they will be happening!_

* * *

It happened all too fast. Bart could already see the iron gates of the castle. He slid into his stop in front of them. Just as he was about to signal for them to be opened, a familiar face came out the tower window. The red hair said it was unmistakably Wally.

"Bart! Thank God, just moment." With that his head slipped back inside and with a groan, the gates began to open. Bart trudged inside and suddenly was enveloped from all sides. The scent of lavender and soft but firm hold pointed towards Queen Iris as the one hugging him. A large hand enveloped his shoulder. Bart pulled back slightly to see King Barry beside them. In a blur Wally appeared too. The boy decided to enjoy the embrace before the scolding and lectures started. _I really don't deserve my position now._ He thought. _Does a real knight of the kingdom run away at an encounter with conflict?_ After a few more moments he wished they'd start yelling and get it over with.

"Now," Iris began, her tone firm. "Before we discuss anything, Bart needs a something to eat." Her nose wrinkled, "and a bath." Wally's mouth opened as to protest, but a look from his aunt caused it to snap shut.

She began to walk away, dragging Bart behind her. He waited for her to start demanding for an explanation, but she walked in silence, head facing forward. Bart silently gulped. _She's madder than I thought. I mean, yeah, I did run off and stay out all night. Still. Does that warrant the silent treatment?_ They arrived at the bathing room. Bart personally didn't think he needed a bath, he'd taken one a couple of months ago. But not wanting to cross a cross _(snicker)_ Iris, he complied.

Though he would never admit it, the bath did feel somewhat nice. But his stomach rumbling was more important than his hygiene, so the bath was cut short. After he got dressed, Bart tiptoed to the kitchen rather than the dining room. Despite earlier preferences, he wanted to put off the oncoming conversation as much as he was able. He glanced into the kitchen, no one was there. It was almost time for the noon meal to be served, the kitchen servants were most likely setting it up in the dining room.

He cautiously entered, a plate of fresh cookies caught his eye. Softly, he crept over and began to reach for a handful when a "Ahem" caused him to freeze. In the doorway stood Joan. Her arms were crossed and she didn't look too pleased.

"Oh! Hello ma'am." Bart chirped. "I was just grabbing something to eat," he gestured to the plate. "I'll head out so I'm not in your-"

"Bartholomew." The older woman interrupted. Silence filled the kitchen, aside from the distant sounds of the animals and chattering servants. "You cannot slip by me. Now go and sit with your family!"

Bart walked swiftly (Iris disproves strongly of running in the halls, or rather anywhere inside) to the dining room. He opened the oak door a crack and peered in. Barry, Iris, and Wally were already seated at the long table. Bart took a deep breath and entered. Three pairs of worried eyes all focused on him as he made his way to his regular seat. He sat, immediately looked at his lap, and waited.

"Bart," Barry began after a moment. Bart looked his king, his grandfather, in the eye. It would look less cowardly after his previous actions. "I'm not entirely sure what caused your recent… display. But I can only assume you heard Wally and I's conversation last night." The king paused, waiting. Bart nodded once. The king continued, "And from your reaction, I don't think you heard the entire discussion. But why don't you say what you _did_ hear?"

Bart took a moment to collect his thoughts before beginning. "I-I heard Wally saying that I wasn't doing well enough in training." He paused to breathe a moment, avoiding Wally's gaze. "And that maybe it'd be best to- to take me out of it."

"Bart, I-" Wally began.

"Did you hear anything else?" Barry questioned. Bart shook his head. Barry rubbed his eye, "First of all, eavesdropping is rude. Second, running away from a situation is foolish and immature!"

This was it. The plan was ruined. His coming back had been pointless and futile. The future was doomed, due to his inability to do anything of importance right.

"Finally, I disagreed and wanted to keep you in the program!" Bart's head shot up. His surprise prompted Barry to continue. "While you do struggle to keep up in some areas due to your size, overall you're working very hard and it's showing. Jay and some of the other head knights are impressed with your determination, but are concerned about the toll it's taking on your health." The king gestured to Wally, "Wally brought up these concerns, he thought maybe a break from the strict training regime would help." His hand reached to Bart's shoulder. "We never intended to completely retire you, just a brief break. That's all."

This revelation was weight off the boy's shoulders. "T-thank you. I swear I'll do better!"

The other three at the table frowned. Bart's joy died. What was the matter? Queen Iris spoke up. "I trust you shall, but you need at least a week to rest and dare I say, eat. You've dropped weight and you're already too light!" Bart began to open his mouth, but was quickly cut off. "No arguing. You rest a week, or you never train again."

He nodded. Barry smiled. "Now that we have an agreement, let's eat!" Iris immediately began to fill Bart's plate. Soon, lively chatter began to fill the room, and it seemed a bit brighter.

"By the way Wally," Bart paused to take a bite. "Next time I go 'missing', please don't send Roy after me. He thought nearly staking me would be the best way to bring me back."

"Wally!" Iris nearly dropped her goblet. "You contacted that hooligan to find Bart?! When you said you had friends helping I didn't think you meant your assassin friends! What were you thinking?!"

When Wally could get a word in, he protested, "Roy is not an assassin! He's like a mercenary or something! And he's one of the best trackers I know! If anyone could find Bart, he was it!"

"Still, the rumors about him and the company he keeps! What if he decided to hold Bart for ransom?"

"Um, Aunt Iris, I'm not completely helpless." Bart chimed in. He looked at Wally. "In fact, I brought your assassin buddy to his knees!"

"He's not a bloody assassin!" Wally weakly protested. "He just has a wagon-load of father issues and a bow."

"Regardless," Iris sniffed. "I would appreciate it if you don't bring your, questionable, associates into family business."

"Questionable associates?!"

Barry kept quiet and focused on his vegetables. Bart caught his eye while Iris and Wally continued to argue. The king glanced over to the door leading to the kitchen. A grin spread across his face. His fingers resting on the table began to form a one, two, three…

Bart and Barry used their speed to sneak into the kitchen, startling a few servants washing dishes. Barry signaled for them to be silent as he and Bart crept towards the back. _Towards the desserts,_ Bart noted. The boy was proved right when Barry shoved a handful of raspberry tarts into his grasp. The king also filled his own hands and motioned for Bart to continue following. They ran through the servants exit and out into the back gardens. They broke to a walk and headed to the pavilion. They took a seat on the stone bench in the center.

Bart chewed his treats in silence, as did the king. The cool air was a relief to the stuffy castle. The clouds were white and fluffy. The sunlight illuminated through the curvy carvings on the pavilion, casting warped shadows. Even after the tarts were gone, the silence continued. Bart kicked lightly at the stone flooring.

"We can't dodge around this Bart." Barry said softly. "Tell me what you're thinking, we'll start there."

Bart was quiet, his thoughts struggling to fall into place. "I," he began. "I can't explain too much. Y'know, spoilers." He chuckled weakly. "But I _can_ tell you that I need this, the training. It's _vital_ to, to everything!" He met Barry's gaze. "I want to explain, _really_ I do. But right now, even though it's a stretch, I need you to trust me for now. Your future, my future rests on this. I promise someday I can explain everything."

Barry reached a hand up and ruffled Bart's hair. "Alright, I will expect more information later. Preferably sooner than later. Next on the agenda, your eavesdropping."

Bart pulled away and groaned. "I wasn't eavesdropping! I was going to stop in and say goodnight! That's all!"

Barry looked skeptical. "Uh huh."

"I swear, on Joan's chocolate cake." Bart placed his fist on his heart and held his chin high.

The king smiled, "Fine, but please, next time don't dramatically disappear. I think Iris would hunt you down herself and string you high." He paused, a grim look settled on his face. "Or ban desserts for a month again."

"Come on! The noodles were not my fault. In fact… I believe that was your idea! I was an innocent stooge!"

"Right, innocent." Barry drawled. "You were all too eager to help me carry it all up to the tower and-"

"BARTHELOMEW AND BARRY ALLEN!" They were so dead. "GET BACK HERE AND FINISH YOUR MEAL!"

They jumped to their feet. Before he could speed back to face the wrath of Iris, Barry blocked him with an arm. "You have berry on your face." Bart began to frantically wipe his face with his sleeve.

"AND I KNOW YOU GOT INTO THE TARTS!" Whelp, there went dessert for a while. The two raced back into the castle to their awaiting doom.

* * *

 **Ah, mi cabeza…**

 _ **I believed I informed you of this consequence.**_

 **Cállate! It's so dark…**

 _ **We are in the village church.**_

 **My arms feel heavy,**

 _ **You are in chains. If I may step in, we could be free in precisely…**_

 **No! You've done enough already! If I could just talk to someone, they'd understand.**

 _ **That is an unlikely outcome.**_

 **Shush, someone's coming!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Ah, Bart. Please come in, I have something to discuss with you." King Barry didn't look up from the map he was crouched over. Bart closed the door behind him and walked over to the table. A large map was rolled out. It was of the Twin Kingdoms and some of the neighboring areas. Red triangles were painted in between and over some of the borders. The king stood up, "What I'm about to tell you is to be kept confidential. Only you, Wally, Jay, and myself are currently aware of the situation, alright?"

"Of course." Bart was curious. What was going on? Thankfully, Barry began to explain.

"Over the past few months there have been attacks on villages and towns in the Twin Kingdoms and on its borders." His finger trailed over some of the triangles. "They are destructive, but… it seems the perpetrator is, holding back." He gestured to one area. "This village was attacked with magic of sorts."

"But aren't there rogue sorcerers always roaming?" Bart inquired.

"I say magic of sorts because this village was attacked by its own soldiers."

"What?"

"It's true. All of a sudden, the soldiers stationed there began to destroy buildings and attack citizens, but only the men. When the knights arrived, they found very confused men and terrified villagers. But the attack that occurred on a neighboring town was almost completely different. One of my captains reported that fifty or so men in dark cloaks on horseback invaded. They fought viciously with curved swords, slaughtering anyone in their path: women, children, elderly, it didn't matter." The king ran a hand through his hair. "Then the day before yesterday there was an attack on our south border. By animals! Lions, tigers, bears. The usual tactics for dealing with them were no good! Their intelligence was almost that of a human's!"

"Could any of the nearby kingdoms be allying against us?" Bart asked slowly. It was a scary thought. King Bruce of Gotham was rather hostile towards any outsiders in his kingdom, but he wasn't violent. Bart couldn't imagine King Oliver attacking them, he and Barry were good friends. Metropolis was in the middle of a civil war, if they untied once more with a common goal to attack the Twin Kingdoms, they would demolish them. The Twin Kingdoms had no chance.

"No, no." Barry insisted, waving his hand. "I suspect an outsider to the nearby lands. I've never heard of or seen tactics so diverse!" His expression darkened. "There is talk of an alliance of kingdoms that seek to take over the entire land. In the past, I have dismissed these as rumors, but now…" His gaze shifted back to the map. "With these attacks, this alliance may be more real than previously believed. And if that is the case, danger is on the horizon."

"Just curious, why are you telling me this?" Bart questioned. "I mean, I'm a new knight with very little training. How can I help?"

Barry smiled a little. "I trust you. Jay believes there are spies that lurk throughout this castle. But you're family, odd and mysterious, but family none the less. And maybe, helping abolish this threat is why you're here. I don't know." He gently rolled up the map. "I need someone I can trust Bart." The map was placed back on a shelf, amongst tens of others.

The king walked back over to Bart, who was still quite confused. "I have a mission for you. A very important one, you can say no, but please consider it."

"Anything you ask grandfather." Bart replied.

"I need you to journey to the neighboring kingdoms. Find out if they too have seen evidence of this alliance. Invite them on my behalf to a summit. If there is a threat, we will need to band together."

"Wouldn't a spy be better to send? A less conspicuous approach?"

"Bah, if Bruce found out he'd put even more effort into shunning me. I'm hoping a diplomatic approach with ease down some walls. But if you don't want to, I understand."

Bart thought for a moment. This could very well be the chance he was waiting for. If he said no, the world would fall into his future. This alliance could be the trigger. "But, are you sure I can handle it?"

The king laid a hand on his shoulder. "I have the utmost confidence in you. I would send you alone, as Wally is on another errand for me and I need Jay at my side. You underestimate yourself, this is a diplomatic mission. Speak eloquently, confidently, you'll do fine. I shall have you prepared in a few days' time as this mission is most important." He looked down into Bart's eyes. "Do you accept?"

Bart thought, then nodded. "Yes, yes I accept."

* * *

The next few days were a flurry of ambassador training and journey preparation. Though a majority of the court and the advisors were confused by the king's orders to send a young knight on a secret mission; they kept quiet, choosing to shoot suspicious glances at Bart instead. Bart kept his focus on his studies and preparation. It was relatively easy to keep focused when the fate of the world was at stake.

Soon, it was the night before the day of his journey. Bart sat in one of the libraries, curled on one of the couches. Maps covered the tables around him, the yellow parchment illuminated by various lanterns and candles. He knew that he _should_ be sleeping. But as mentioned earlier, the world's fate potentially rested on this mission. His finger gently traced the pattern on the couch. The motion was calming, it helped tone down the insistent business and noise his brain conducted. Besides the occasional rustle of paper from the drafts, the room was silent. Smells of dust, paper, dampness, and the melting wax of candles hung in the air. Bart's eyes slipped closed, he took a deep breath, trying to quiet his mind.

A _creak_ of the door broke the silence. Bart looked up and turned around to face the entrance. Queen Iris stood in the doorway, her red hair was loose from its usual tight braid or bun and she was wrapped in a thick emerald green dressing robe. Bart quickly rose to his feet. "Iris, are you okay?"

Her arms crossed. Her gaze looked empty, but it focused slightly on his twitching fingers. "I'm not sure _you_ should be asking me that question." She lightly walked over to the couch and sat down, a pale hand patted the area beside her. Bart sat. "Are you going to be alright?" The queen asked after a moment. "This isn't going to be easy, no one would blame you if you didn't want to undertake this quest." Her soft hand began to pet his auburn hair. "We wouldn't think lesser of you, there's no need for you to prove yourself."

Bart leaned into her touch. It felt nice, he was a very affectionate by nature. He enjoyed giving and receiving hugs, but there was a standard of propriety held in the castle which didn't allow a lot of touch. Of course, Wally regularly would pat him on the back or punch him in the arm, Barry would ruffle his hair, and Iris would lay a hand on his shoulder or hold his arm. But lingering, _loving,_ touches were rare, in this time and his own.

"I, I need to do this." He whispered. "I can't deny, I'm scared. Terrified. But," he sat up a little more. "This needs to be done and I believe I can do it." Iris's eyes had a worried glint, she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"I don't know what's going on." Her hand that wasn't on his back began petting his hair. "But you need to be careful. Don't take any unnecessary risks." She released him from the hug. She stood and reached her hand out. "Now, come along. You need to try to sleep."

Bart followed without argument. There would be no point.

* * *

It was mid-morning when it was time for Bart to leave. The king and queen with the Garricks were there to see him off. Bart swung up onto a grey horse, (he insisted he could simply run faster, but alas, appearances). Jay handed him his sword and a helmet. It was different than the standard helmet, it looked more like Jay's with the wings on the side.

When Bart looked questioningly at the captain, the old man smiled. "Thought you'd need a good luck charm. Wear the wings with pride."

Bart nodded and put the helm on. It fit perfectly and gleamed in the morning light. The horse pawed at the ground, as if sensing the urgency of the mission. Iris walked up and gave Bart's free hand a squeeze. Barry patted his leg. "You got this kid. We believe in you."

The boy nodded and kicked the horse in a light trot. This was it. The quest has begun.


	6. Chapter 6

The first day was uneventful. Bart decided he'd ride to Star Kingdom first as he'd been there before. The horse (who Bart started calling Rooster because of his obnoxious whinny) traveled at a decent pace, but it was taking too long for someone who could've run there in a matter of minutes. Instead at this rate it would take two, maybe three days.

It was almost evening when Bart decided to stop for the night. He wasn't used to riding horseback, he was sore in places he didn't know could get sore! Rooster's saddle was removed and he was tied to a stake in the middle of a grass patch. The horse nickered contentedly as he ate almost as fast as Bart.

"Slow down there!" Bart called from where he was building a small fire. He poured some water from a skin into a bucket. As he approached, Rooster pinned his ears. "I'm not here to take your food!" Bart exclaimed, he held out the bucket. "I was bringing you some water. Could you imagine me eating grass?" He set the bucket as close as he dared before returning to the wood. Satisfied his grass wasn't in danger, Rooster investigated the contents of the bucket.

Bart snorted and finished building his fire. The sun set and darkness fell, bringing the noises of crickets and owls. These sounds and the occasional snort from Rooster lulled the boy to sleep.

 _ ***Screams could be heard from across the village. Bart peered out from under the bed. His mother came into view with a basket.**_

" _ **Back under chipmunk." She whispered. "Be very quiet." She shoved the basket under the bed in front of him. He couldn't see very well anyone, but he heard her footsteps rush to the other side of the cottage. His nose wrinkled when he could smell smoke. Where was the fire? There were less screams and he wasn't sure that was a good thing.**_

 _ **The sound of wood splintering sounded from the front of the cottage. Bart could hear rough, angry voices asking questions and his mother's collected responses. He held his breath… then his mother yelped. He could see her fall to the floor and angry boots were making their way around. Chairs, tables, and crates were being overturned and tossed to the side.**_

 _ **They were looking for him. His mother caught his eye and minutely shook her head.**_

 _ **The boots stopped in front of his hiding place, the other pair by his mother. The voices picked up again, but his mother said nothing. A boot kicked her in the stomach, her face contorted in pain.**_

 _ **Bart couldn't take it anymore, he collected his speed and ran out, knocking the boots to the ground. He fell to his mother's side. She yelled at him to run, but he couldn't, not without her. Suddenly, a strong set of arms grabbed him and a knife was pressed against his neck.**_

 _ **His mother lunged but fell to her knees, her eyes wide and unseeing. The other soldier withdrew his sword from her stomach and her body fell to the floor. Bart struggled and screamed.***_

Bart jerked up, breathing hard. He looked around; there were trees all around except for an open grassy area where a horse stood. _Rooster,_ he thought. It all came back to him, his journey to the past, his training, his mission. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. _I don't think I'm going to go back to sleep. Oh well, might as well get an early start._

He saddled Rooster and hooked his pack to the saddle, then they were off. It was a sick sort of familiar, the quiet. Bart was a social, chatty person. Silence didn't bode well with him, so he talked to Rooster. He talked about his training, Joan's new plants, and the weird dream he had once in which he turned into a squirrel. Rooster trotted on, but it felt like he was paying attention.

Around noon Bart's stomach began to grumble. He could hear a creek nearby, so it was time for a break. He tied Rooster to a tree near the creek so he could drink and eat freely. Bart munched on some bread and cheese he brought. A slight rustle above caught his attention. It wasn't obvious, it was too heavy to be a bird or squirrel. Bart kept eating as if nothing was wrong. Rooster's head came up, his vision searching the forest and ears twitching. Bart stood and stretched, still faking oblivion. He heard a _swoosh_ and he used his speed to catch an arrow. A rather familiar arrow.

"Okay Roy. You can come out now." He yelled up into the tree tops. A _crunch_ sounded behind him and another occurred to his right. He saw Roy grinning and from behind came a taller, more muscular man. He had a scarred face with piercing blue eyes, his hair was a dark black but there was a chunk of white in the front. Roy came closer and snatched his arrow back.

"Hiya Bart. How'd you know we were here?"

"Cows wearing armor and climbing trees are quieter than you!" Bart snapped. "And what is your obsession with trying to shoot me?"

Roy snorted. "Please, if I were trying to hit you I would. I just enjoy keeping you on your toes, that's all!" He reached the arrow back into his quiver, catching the eye of his scary companion. "Oh, Bart Jason. Jason, Bart."

Jason nodded. Bart switched his gaze back to Roy. "Why are you following me?"

"Trust me, this time we weren't. We have… business in Star. What are you doing out here?"

"I have a mission in Star."

"Ooh, sounds important and secret… so spill."

Bart crossed his arms and tried to look menacing. "It is secret, so no, I will not 'spill'." Roy chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Alrighty then. Say, why don't Jaybird and I accompany you to the city! It'll be a caravan of redheads!"

Bart and Jason looked at Roy. Bart spoke, "Um… okay. But you are not riding Rooster."

Jason looked confused. "You're riding a Rooster? I thought you could like, change countries in a matter of minutes."

"Rooster is over there," Bart gestured to the horse eating grass by the river. "And I have to ride him for appearances."

Roy waved his hand. "No matter, we have our own. We're ready when you are."

So the trio of redheads (Bart learned that Jason dyed his hair) continued on. Bart predicted after the night, they'd arrive the following late morning.

Roy and Jason weren't terrible traveling companions. It beat being alone. They joked and Jason told stories about his brothers, he had three. All in all, it was an enjoyable ride.

* * *

The main village was bustling with activity when they rode in. Merchants weaved the streets, selling their wares. Children were herding flocks of geese, a bard was playing a lute by the gate, and people pushed past each other carrying baskets. Banners with the king's coat of arms hung off the sides of buildings.

When they reached the well at the town's center it was time to go their separate ways. "Well kid, good luck on your mission." Roy said. He and Bart shook hands, then he and Jason rode deeper into the crowd. _Probably off to the tavern._ Bart thought.

He guided Rooster through the crowd until they reached the men guarding the path to the castle. "I have come on behalf King Barry of the Twin Kingdoms." He stated. He then handed them a letter with his king's seal. "I request an audience with your king."

One of the guards left to go consult their captain. Soon he returned, with a tall, slender, blonde woman dressed in a black tunic. As she walked towards Bart, she gave off a presence of power and confidence. When she stopped in front of him, she held out her hand and introduced herself, "I am Dinah Lance, the captain and head trainer of the king's guard."

Bart bowed and kissed her hand. "Pleased to meet you my lady. I am an envoy, Bart, on behalf of King Barry. I come to discuss an important matter with your king." He stood and tried to look her confidently in the eyes.

Her own narrowed, looking him up and down. Finally she said, "Follow me." And began to walk away. Bart followed her into the castle. When they reached a large set of doors she stopped. "Wait here," then she slipped inside.

After a few minutes, she gestured him inside. A long green carpet led to a dark wooden throne. The head and arms rests had small, detailed designs carved into them. A blonde man with a goatee and crown, dressed in heavy green robes sat on the throne. King Oliver. Bart made his way forward, _well, here goes nothing._ He kneeled and bowed his head.

"Your majesty, I am Knight Bartholomew, an envoy of King Barry. I have been sent to discuss an important matter with you." _I feel like that went well._

King Oliver chuckled. "Arise young one." Bart rose to his feet. "Well, it'll be good to hear from ol' Fleet Feet. If you'd follow me." The king, Bart, and Miss Lance entered a smaller, adjoining room. King Oliver removed his crown and set it on the desk. "Now, what is it Barry sent you to tell me?"

Bart glanced over at the blonde captain.

Oliver smiled. "I trust Dinah with everything. She is my rock." He gave her a very obvious wink, to which she merely rolled her eyes.

Bart cleared his throat and rolled out his map on the desk. "Your highness,"

"Call me Ollie in private."

"Uh, Ollie. Several villages in the Twin Kingdoms have been attacked, with the attackers using men to magic. The magic signatures are different as a village's own men were used to attack and another border was attacked by beasts with human intelligence. And finally an entire village was slaughtered by soldiers whose methods we've never seen before. His highness worries that these attacks will persist and spread. There are reports of a far movement forming and possibly planning to attack this land.

"As a precaution, his highness would like to invite you to a summit, to further discuss this matter. I also have this for you," Bart handed a letter to Ollie. "I believe it contains more detailed information."

Ollie looked at Lady Dinah, her face was grim. The goateed man turned back to Bart. "Thank you for bringing this up. This must be serious if Barry's sending out word." He began to pace. "I will have readied a small force and soon I shall start towards Barry's kingdom." The blonde man paused and looked Bart over. "Do you have to carry on?"

"Yes your highness, Ollie. I still need to travel to Metropolis, Gotham, and several other areas."

Ollie's brow furrowed. "You're a little on the young side to be sent so far away by yourself. Especially if this rumor of a threat is true."

Bart stood straighter. "I'm fifteen, and if his majesty didn't think I could handle this mission he would have never entrusted me with it!"

Ollie gave a small smile, "Now, I never said he made a bad choice. I just, I used to have a son of my own and I don't think I would've trusted him with such a journey." His eyes took on a vaguely sad glint. "Hmm. That's one of the reasons he insists on having nothing to do with me. He claimed I never trusted him enough, in my defense he was a fiery, angry little upstart." Ollie cleared his throat. "Stay the night, get some real rest and restock your provisions before you start on again. Dinah will show you to a room and have your horse taken to a stable."

Bart bowed. "Thank you your majesty." Ollie nodded and replaced his crown.

Lady Dinah gestured for the boy to follow her out a side door, into a hall. The two were silent as their footsteps generated the only noise. Finally, they stopped at a door.

"Here is your room, there is a basin with water for washing. I will send a room servant to check on you and bring you dinner." Dinah said.

"Thank you milady." Bart said, he kissed her hand before entering his room. After a few nights outside the large bed looked inviting, but first he wanted to wash his face of the traveling dirt. The cool water felt nice as he splashed his face. As much as he disliked full body baths, a clean face and hands felt wonderful. After he dried his face and hands, he sat on the bed.

This would be one of his only breaks in comfort for a while. He would travel to Metropolis next, which was even farther. He had never been there in person but it was a kingdom praised for its technological advancements. King Alexander Luthor was praised for his shrewd management in bringing the realm out of despair. Bart believed he too would be open to his grandfather's concerns.

A knock brought him back to the present. "Come in." He called softly. The door opened and a servant woman stepped in.

"Can I fetch you anything sir?"

"Um, food is all I need I think. Thank you." It felt weird asking things of unfamiliar servants. Bart knew a lot about the ones at home even though they didn't trust him, Joan would talk about them, their life stories, and the gossip whenever Bart was with her. Despite their opinions of him, Bart was comfortable with them.

He'd come from a world that it was every man for himself, it took some time to adjust to people helping or getting him things. You didn't need to fight others off for food, instead you helped them gather it. You shared your comfort. It was different, but a very good different.

* * *

The next morning, Bart was finishing packing up Rooster when Oliver approached. Bart quickly set down his bag and bowed. "Your majesty."

Oliver waved a hand dismissively. "None of that formal stuff outside of the court. Right now I'm just Ollie and you," he gestured to the boy, "are just Bart."

Bart nodded, he began to finish arranging his saddlebags, casting a glance every so often at the blonde king, prompting him to speak. After about a minute Ollie spoke.

"Your Barry's 'grandson from the future' aren't you?"

Bart paused. "Yes." He waited. Ollie didn't laugh or ask for the story, he kept his eyes on the straw of the barn.

"You mentioned you were fifteen. Despite what that means in your era, that's young here." The king said.

"From my world, that meant you were on your own. You aren't allowed to hang off of anyone anymore. You want to survive then you'd better see to it. Life's a breeze here. I don't have to fight for food, the environment isn't deadly and humming with black magic, lunatics are waiting to kill you at every turn." Bart scoffed a moment. "Well, that last bit isn't as true. I've nearly been staked by one of Wally's roving archer buddies."

The last bit caught the king's eye. He looked up, eyes wide. "Archer? Do you know who he is? Besides a friend of Wally's I mean."

Bart was confused, but carried on. "Yeah, his name is Roy Harper. He came from here I think, his father is a lord or something." Ollie began to pace, this prompted Bart to continue despite his confusion. "He and a friend of his rode with me to the city."

The king stopped and looked the auburn-haired boy in the eye. "This was yesterday? He could still be here?"

Bart really hoped he didn't get Roy in trouble. Even though he was annoying, he was fun. "M-most likely so sire. When we parted he mentioned going to the tavern."

King Oliver smiled, "Thank you my boy! Thank you!" He turned wildly, gesturing to a nearby stable hand, "You! Saddle my horse! I shall be back for it soon!" Then he rushed away.

Bart and Rooster watched him leave. "Huh." Bart said. But he couldn't dwell on the king's behavior, he had a mission to complete. He led Rooster out to the front gate, he swung up while waiting for the gate to be opened.

Another horse galloped by in a cloud of dust. Bart coughed and could barely make out a green cape fluttering into the distance. _I really hope Roy's not wanted in this area…_ Though he wasn't terribly fond of the man, he would feel bad if he got him arrested.

He kicked Rooster into a fast trot, it was time to head to Metropolis.

* * *

 **AN: I feel bad this took me so long to finish. It's 4H fair season so I've been rather busy, but I hope to have more time this coming week! In the future the chapters will hopefully be longer, but I really wanted to put something out, so I released this one early despite it being short.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I did not intend for this chapter to take so long. It was going to be longer but I wanted to post something, so it's more of a filler chapter. The past few weeks I've been busy preparing for and then doing the 4H fair. Then the week after I'm brain dead and exhausted. I will be gone next week with sketchy internet so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. But don't give up on me, this story will be continued! (However long it takes me...)**

* * *

Rooster let out a snort. Bart felt like doing the same. They'd been riding at a hard pace for several hours. Bart was determined for every aspect of his mission to go smoothly. Back home, any mistake could cost you your survival. One of those aspects was quick, efficient travel. At this particular time, Rooster wasn't feeling it. The horse planted his feet and refused to listen to the boy's ques to go forward.

"C'mon you hairy bag of meat!" Bart groaned. "We need to keep moving! The safety of the entire land could be at stake!"

Rooster, by this point, had heard the spiel a thousand times. And he decided he was done. Bart gave up trying to kick the equine. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Fine you useless beast!" Bart gave up. "We'll stop."

Bart paced under the shade of the trees, while Rooster drank from a nearby stream. He was seriously considering just leaving the animal in the next closest town and running the rest of the mission. He glanced at the horse, who was calmly drinking. The animal had no clue what was going on or the possible dangers.

Bart knew, and it was stressing him out. Being the sole holder of knowledge about the possible future if he failed was beginning to weigh down on him. He dropped to the ground and leaned back against a tree. He allowed his eyes to slip closed for just a moment…

 _ ***He just had to keep running, they knew and they weren't happy. He hadn't eaten in a few days so he was already slowing down. A tree root caused him to almost lose his footing, he slid a few feet before regaining his balance.**_

 _ **They were practically on his heels now. There was nowhere to hide or catch his breath. Sweat was pouring down his forehead, the salt stinging his eyes. He reached up to wipe his eyes and finally, his legs gave out.**_

 _ **The mud didn't allow for him to skid far. It covered his arms and legs, weighing him down deep. His vision was clouded over.**_

 _ **A cold, metal hand grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him up. He dangled in the air, still unable to see. A deep chuckle caused his body to go stiff.**_

" _ **You cannot escape, Meat."**_

 _ **He kicked, trying to make contact. The chuckle echoed again, the steel grip tightened, cutting off his oxygen. His body once again went limp.**_

 _ **Another cold, heavy hand wiped the mud off his eyes. He now could fully see the menacing yellow slits before him.**_

 _ **Suddenly he was dropped. He hit the ground with a gasp. His tormentor merely watched as he gasped for breath.**_

" _ **I'll give you a three second head start, then," Bart heard the sound of a laser cannon loading up, "we can restart our chase."**_

 _ **Bart stumbled to his feet and took off running. He couldn't keep it up and the clanking was catching up quickly. A flash of heat and needles shot through his leg. A laser beam. He dropped to the ground in pain.**_

 _ **A shadow cast over him, his body prepared itself for a familiar pain.**_

 _ **There was that awful laugh, those hateful yellow eyes… and the sound of a laser canon charging up.***_

Bart startled awake, breathing hard. Looking around, he was still lying against a tree. It was dark and silent save for the sounds of night creatures. He pushed himself to his feet and squinted towards the creek. Rooster was no longer there. Bart groaned, _the dumb horse has gotten himself lost._ "Rooster!" He called into the darkness. "C'mon out boy!" He began to walk deeper into the wood. His voice echoed off the trees, but there was little other sound.

After almost an hour of searching Bart gave up. There was no telling where the stupid horse ended up. He needed to sleep so he could get an early start. He wandered back to his spot.

He began to build a fire when a rustle came from nearby. "Roy?" he called out. "This is getting old! Just come out!" Another rustle, but no answer. Bart scanned the tree line, but it was too dark to make anything out. Bart drew his sword from its scabbard. He held it out in front of him while he edged closer to the tree line. There was definitely something there, watching him from the dark. "Show yourself!" He ordered with as much authority in his voice as he could manage. His grip subconsciously tightened around the grip of his sword.

As he got closer he could hear heavy breathing. He swallowed before creeping closer, body tense. He willed each footfall closer. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, every noise triggering his fight reflex. He sensed that the figure was face to face with him in the brush…

The assailant sneezed on his face. Bart jumped back sputtering and wiping his face. A familiar snort came from the dark. Rooster marched out with brambles and mud coating his grey hair. He looked about as indignant as a horse could.

"Rooster!" The young knight barked. "Not you too! Aagh!" He flung his sword into the dirt. Rooster merely snorted again and pawed the ground. His saddle was hanging off to the side and the reins on the bridle were broken. The equine's legs were a mess. They were covered in thin, red scratches and dried mud. Who knew where the animal had been.

Bart walked forward to grab Rooster's bridle. While he stroked the cross horse's neck, he thought he could see an outline darting further into the woods.

* * *

After two more days of traveling, the pair were almost to Metropolis. Bart was beginning to think he was pushing Rooster too hard. The annoyed spark in the horse's eye was dimmer and he began babying his back right foot. _Once we get to Metropolis, I'll let him rest and borrow a fresh horse._

Bart was also tired, sore, and on edge. The frequency of the nightmares had increased. He couldn't stay asleep for more than an hour or two. The early excitement of being trusted with an important mission had almost completely died. He was ready to collapse in his bed and sleep for a decade.

Late afternoon Bart decided they should stop for the day. They had reached a small village just outside of the main city of Metropolis. He was hoping to find an inn with a bed softer than the forest ground. Rooster was limping badly, so Bart led him into town.

The appearance of the town was, surprising. There were no paved roads, stick fences instead of sturdy walls, and the buildings were run down. Nothing in the village reflected the glory of the stories about the miraculous kingdom of Metropolis. The condition of the village was shocking since it was so close to the main city.

Dull-eyed, pale citizens looked up from their work as Bart walked through. He tried to keep his gaze off of them and instead looked for signs advertising lodging. He could see nothing the further he walked. Finally, he focused on a woman carrying small cages holding chickens.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" He called out to her. She didn't seem to hear him, she continued on. Bart called out a little louder, "Pardon me, ma'am?"

She still trudged through the mud not even glancing over her shoulder. Bart was sure she'd heard him this time. She had ducked her head even more. His exhaustion was taking control, he pulled Rooster after the woman. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. "Ma'am please, I just wanted to ask abou-"

"I don't know leave me alone!" She barked at him, jerking away. She walked away faster and more determined.

Bart stood baffled. Rooster snorted and stomped one of his good legs. The boy shifted his gaze around. It was obvious the villagers were trying to avoid looking at him. They kept walking with their eyes fixed straight ahead.

This was not what he was expecting. Metropolis was renowned as a successful kingdom. Its economy was great, their successes in science were inconceivable, and its citizens were rumored to be the most educated throughout the land. Here, just half a day's ride away from the main city, the buildings were rotting, the roads nonexistent, and people were worn down.

"C-can I pet your horse?" A small voice squeaked beside him.

Bart looked down and saw a small blonde girl in a faded pink cloak with a hood. Her hair was dirty but someone attempted to make it look nicer by braiding parts of it. He gave her a tired smile. "Sure, he'd probably like that."

The little girl held out a thin hand. Rooster sniffed her hand thoroughly before giving it a lick. She gave a laugh, stroking his muzzle. Rooster chose that moment to snort, covering Bart and the girl in snot.

"Ew, gross!" She giggled while Bart shot the horse a glare. The little girl kept petting Rooster and telling him how pretty he was.

"Greta!" The trio looked across the town square at the approaching figure. "What did I say about sticking close? You scared me."

The figure was a tall, thin young man with long brown hair and a dirty, blue coat. As soon as he reached the small group he pulled Greta away from Bart and Rooster.

"And what have I told you about approaching strangers?"

"But," the little girl, Greta, protested. "I just wanted to pet the horse!"

This excuse didn't appeal to her taller companion. His frown deepened and his grip on her wrist tightened. "Horse or not you're not supposed to go off on your own!" He then turned to Bart. "Very sorry about her." He glared at Greta, "She forgets herself sometimes."

"She was no bother," Bart replied, "Really. She's the first person to even acknowledge me since I got here." He patted Rooster's neck. "Is there an inn or a stable where my horse and I could stay the night? We need to be on the road to the main city by morning and Rooster's limping."

The long haired man looked him over, still frowning. "There isn't anything, the people here can barely keep themselves alive."

Greta tugged on his coat. "Can't they stay with us? Just for a night?" The man opened his mouth to protest, but halted at her begging eyes. "The horse is hurt! He can't walk anymore!"

As to add to her protest, Rooster was almost completely resting his lame leg. He gave a pathetic whinny. Bart fought the temptation to roll his eyes.

The man looked conflicted, but it appeared Rooster's act and Greta's pleas were winning. "Fine." He huffed. "But only for tonight."

"Yay!" Greta squealed and she ran over to hug Rooster, who was miraculously able to stand on his leg again. The man walked over to Bart and extended a dirty hand.

"Name's William. William Hayes. Greta is my little sister."

"I'm Bart. That's Rooster. And I appreciate this."

William just nodded. "Well, let's be off. It ain't safe just standing in the street."

Greta chirped, "I want to ride the horse!"

"You can't. He's hurt." William began walking.

Rooster snorted and did a little prance in place. A slightly gimpy prance, his wishes clear. Bart did roll his eyes this time. _This horse_ … "Apparently he's feeling up to carrying her. She looks light, she can't do any damage." As he expected, she was light. Greta giggled in the saddle, as Rooster began walking, she gripped tightly onto his mane.

The group walked through the mud in silence. William walking several paces ahead with Bart leading Rooster with Greta behind. Greta began chattering soon enough, asking Bart about Rooster. The conversation shifted to Bart.

"What are you going to the city for?" She asked.

"I uh, I'm delivering some messages to people in the city." It wasn't a complete lie. There was no way he was going to scare her with the truth. She didn't need to add magical, vicious enemies waiting to attack to her worries.

* * *

The siblings' home was a simple four walls with a deteriorating straw roof. The structure was surrounded by a low wire fence. Several small, bony chickens clucked in the front yard. There was a small lean-to built onto the side of the shack. William pushed open the gate and motioned for the small party to enter first. Greta slid off Rooster and landed in the mud with a small _splash_. Her small hand grasped Bart's and she pulled him in the direction of the lean-to.

"Rooster can sleep in here!" She exclaimed. "With the chickens, he should feel right at home." The lean-to had an open front. The muddy ground was covered by layers of straw and rags. A few more chickens were nestled in the straw, clucking softly.

Rooster walked in and nickered at the nesting birds. Greta disappeared for a moment around the back and returned with a pail of water. She carried it over, Rooster sniffed it for a moment before drinking it down. Greta stroked his neck, talking to him softly. William joined Bart at the opening, watching the skinny blonde girl pet the horse. She suddenly paused and looked at Bart.

"We- we don't have anything to feed him." Her eyes were wide.

Bart smiled softly. "It's alright. He's got enough of a belly to last him a few months."

Greta giggled, while if horses could glare, that's what Rooster was doing. Bart removed the saddle and bridle; Rooster immediately laid down.

"We should get inside. Not that'll be much better." William muttered. Greta gave a lingering rub on Rooster's nose before stepping out next to her brother. They walked back around to the front of the shack and inside. William was right, the temperature inside wasn't much better inside. The wind whistled through cracks in the walls despite the futile rags stuffed in the spaces.

There was a small woodstove in the corner, a bundle of blankets was front of it, and several buckets were catching drips around the room. A few nearly empty crates of food were stacked against the opposite wall. That was all to the Hayes' home.

Greta immediately walked over to the stove and held her shivering hands out. William pulled off his boots and set them in front of the stove. Bart stood awkwardly near the doorway. Greta glanced over her shoulder and waved him over. He stood by her, soaking in the weak waves of heat.

"Is, is there anything I can do? Anything I can help with?" He asked.

William snorted. "If you can improve the smaller villages' living conditions, please do." He yanked open the stove door and began stabbing at the embers. "While the capital city thrives, the surrounding areas starve."

"Before I saw it for myself I never heard anything of the sort. There's never anything but wondrous things spoken about Metropolis."

William stabbed the poker harder. "That's because his royal mighty highness Luthor doesn't allow anything but! What good are accomplishments when almost your entire kingdom is drowning in poverty? The name city is the only thriving one in the area. The villages are dying, except for the groveling lords working for the king!"

He slammed the stove door closed with a _bang!_ Greta jumped back. William sighed and slumped slightly. He held out his arms and Greta wrapped herself in them. "There's no work around here, anyone who complains disappears, and we can barely survive day to day!" He clutched his sister closer.

Bart rubbed his eyes. "When," he swallowed, collecting his thoughts. "I have messages to deliver in the main city. I-I have some pull, maybe I could spark a change."

William just shook his head. "Best of luck to you then."

 _ ***It's been days since anyone's eaten. They were spotted and barely managed to hide in a cave. The darkness was beginning to get to everyone. The few adults were gathered in a corner, speaking in hushed whispers, trying to formulate an escape plan. Bart and the other children sat silently in the dark. They had all learned long ago that there was no point to crying. It was a sign of weakness and weakness got you killed.**_

 _ **Even with his speed dampened by the enchantment, Bart was itching to move. He paced until an adult hissed at him to stop. The rock walls were cool against his skin as he traced the various cracks and miniature ravines with his fingertips. The initial fear had worn off, now hunger and boredom were the primary emotions swirling in the cave. No one dared make a sound in fear of the soldiers outside. Bart knew they were waiting. They could wait for however long they wanted. He slammed his fist into the wall, the pain a welcomed change.**_

 _ **A thin stream of light shined through the wall. Bart rose to his knees and began pulling at the loosened rocks. Eventually the wall crumbled enough that he could squeeze through, he was free! He glanced back at the group, they hadn't noticed. And he wasn't about to help them. The outside air was refreshing compared to the cave's stale air. Bart blinked quickly, trying to adjust his eyes back to the dusky light. Then, he began to run.**_

 _ **It felt incredible to move and stretch again. At this moment, he had no idea where he'd go next, but it didn't matter. First, he needed to get far away, then he could find a new shelter. A familiar buzzing noise came from overhead. No…**_

" _ **You cannot escape!"**_

 _ **Bart began to zig zag, trying to avoid getting caught. But it was fruitless, there was just open plains for miles. He could hear a laser cannon whirling behind him, then a blast. There was sudden heat and pain in his legs and he fell into the dust. A cold hand grabbed his collar and tossed him over a shoulder. His head hurt too much to process much else.**_

 _ **When his vision cleared he gasped. They were heading back to the cave. Even several hundred yards away Bart could sense the chaos. He could smell smoke and copper, the screams of the others were piercing the dusty air.**_

 _ **He struggled and squirmed but it was useless. A cold laugh echoed.**_

" _ **Your futile escape was all we needed. We caught another child attempting to slip out. Imagine his surprise when we invaded. Did you really think we were foolish enough to leave the back unwatched."**_

 _ **Bart was hung out in front of his captor, his energy too diminished to struggle any further. The screams of terror and pain grew louder, and LOUDER! One little girl's scream rung out clearer than the rest, it wouldn't stop…***_

Bart jerked awake. The screaming still continued. He rubbed his eyes and Greta sobbing came into focus on the bundle of blankets a few feet away. Just as he was about to crawl over and check on her, William sat up and drowsily wrapped himself around her. He began rocking her back and forth making soothing noises. Bart just stared through the dark. Greta's sobs died into soft sniffles and whimpers. After a few more minutes of steady rocking, she seemed to drift back into sleep. William paused, then laid her gently back on the blanket. She stayed asleep. He glanced up and met Bart's eye. He looked at the embers dying in the stove.

"Our parents died during a raid a while back. She remembers just enough to get nightmares." He whispered, his tone bitter. "I came back from the field to a smoking house and her crying out front. I don't know why they left her alive."

Bart watched the shivering, sleeping girl. Her face scrunched into distress occasionally, but she slept on.

"How about you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm a light sleeper, heard you tossing and turning."

"I didn't disturb you did I?" William shook his head. "Good. I-" Bart was unsure how to continue. How much did he want to give away? "I too watched my family get slaughtered. My mother actually. I lived far, far away from here. Soldiers broke in and she," he swallowed, "she fought back."

William nodded in seeming understanding. "Do you ever want revenge?"

"Everyday."

William's face grew dark. "Luthor came into power by 'stopping' the raids. He emerged like a white knight and they stopped only after a few days. Rumor has it he was behind them in the first place. He's a greedy idiot. If I could I'd destroy him and all like him. He talks about 'progress' and 'the greater good' for the people. We have yet to see anything of the like." He stared into the dark, the room fell silent minus the occasional _crackle_ from the stove. Then, he snapped back to attention, nodding at Bart, "Night."

"Good night." Bart lay back down, listening to William shuffling and Greta's breathing. He wasn't sure how long he lay there before he fell back asleep.

* * *

"Do you have to leave?" Greta questioned. She was standing beside Bart as he was saddling Rooster. Rooster had his nose buried in the crook of the blonde girl's arm, nuzzling her softly.

Bart gave her sad look. He couldn't stay, despite her wishes. He had his mission and Greta and her brother couldn't support another two mouths. It would be safer for them and their village the sooner he spoke to the king. "I'm sorry, but I cannot. I have important messages to deliver."

She nodded solemnly. "Maybe… maybe you could stop by when you're finished?"

Bart finished cinching his saddle and reached for his bridle. "I will try if I have time. But if I don't make it this time around, I will definitely try again another time. Okay?"

This answer seemed to satisfy the young girl. She pushed the horse's muzzle out of her arm so Bart could bridle him. Rooster chomped at the cold bit as he went into his mouth. Bart began to lead the horse out to the front of the yard. William stood at the yard's entrance. Greta ran ahead and tucked herself under his arm. Bart stopped and held his hand out to William. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. Are you sure you don't want payment?"

William shook the shorter boy's hand. "No, just trying to be a decent person. Safe travels." Bart nodded and led Rooster onto the path. He swung into the saddle and just before he rode off he heard William shout, "If you get the chance, beat some sense into the idiot of the king!"

Bart tapped Rooster into a trot and they left two stick-thin figures standing next to a shack in the mud. The idea that behind the extravagance of Metropolis was a bunch of starving, struggling-to-survive people, too afraid of some overhanging wrath to meet his eye was sickening and shocking. He wondered just how many knew. His grandfather never mentioned anything like this when he talked about the kingdom. He only talked about its admirable scientific and military advancements and thriving economy. Bart snorted, _some thriving economy._

Rooster trotted along fine for a couple miles before his gait became slightly disjointed. His head jerked down every few steps. Finally, Bart stopped him. "You can't carry on like this bud." He slid off the horse's back. Rooster stretched out his neck and snorted. Bart sighed, "I don't have any clue how we're going to get to the city before dark at this rate." He pulled the reins, urging the horse gently forward. Rooster hobbled forward. They moved for a few feet before stopping. Bart tossed the reins over Rooster's neck and picked up his front foot. No reaction. He continued checking feet until the horse tried to pull his back right out of Bart's hand.

Having no experience with animal injuries, Bart was unable to diagnose what was wrong. There were no visible cuts or bruises. Bart was at a loss. He laid his head against Rooster's neck and closed his eyes. There was still so much to be done.

The boy stood up and took a deep breath. "We'll take it easy for a few hours. If you're not doing too well by then, I'll just run and send someone back for you. Alright?" The pair pulled off into the woods. Rooster started eating, resting his bad leg. Bart sat down on a nearby log and watched the road. After about an hour Rooster's head shot up, his ears twitching towards the road. Bart squinted and could see an approaching dust cloud. As it got closer he could make out an outline of a horse and rider.

Bart ran out closer to the edge of the road, waving his arms. The rider pulled the horse into a stop. Bart's eyes were drawn to the horse first, it was huge! It snorted, its muscles flexing as it paced in place. Its smoky black coat and mane shined in the late morning sun. As his vision drifted upwards, Bart noted that the rider too was a giant.

He was broad shouldered with thick, muscled arms. He sat very tall with a confident gleam in his eyes. His hair was dark as his steed's. His armor indicated a knight's status. "How can I help you?" The rider boomed.

"My horse is limping badly and I can't find anything wrong. Would you mind taking a look?"

"No, I don't mind at all." The man slid off his horse. A longsword hung off his belt. Bart led him off the road, into the wood where Rooster was eating undisturbed. The man handed Bart his reins and walked over to Rooster.

Rooster sniffed the man's gloved hand, then allowed him to stroke his neck. "Which leg is giving him trouble?"

"Uh, the back right I believe."

The giant carefully lifted said leg and looked it over for a few moments. It was silent save for the trees rustling and the horses' breathing. Bart began to stroke the giant black horse's nose but quickly stopped when the beast gave him a venomous look.

"Well, I don't see much of anything. It's slightly swollen, I have some wrap that should ease it enough that you could get into town and get it looked at."

"That would be greatly appreciated."

The man opened his saddle bag and pulled out the wrap and proceeded to wrap Rooster's foot. When he finished he took the reins back from Bart. "I was heading back into the city, why don't we ride together so I can make sure you get in alright?"

Bart mounted Rooster and gathered his reins. "Thank you. I don't want to get stuck out here again." _Not that I couldn't simply run into town and be back before dark._

The giant smiled and started back towards the road. Bart and Rooster followed. "I'm Bartholomew by the way, but everyone calls me Bart."

"A pleasure to meet you Bart. I am Clark, one of the castle's knights."

"This is convenient, I am actually supposed to be going to the castle to deliver a message to the king."

"Convenient indeed."

They proceeded down the trail in a comfortable silence.


	8. Author's Note

**AN: So very sorry this isn't a chapter, life got crazy real fast. I ended up having to make an emergency trip for a funeral for a week and then college has started and my professors love to assign weekend homework. I will be writing late into the night to get chapters done, but it will be slow. Don't give up on me, this story has great potential and I will finish it!**


	9. Chapter 8

The ride into the main city was quiet at first. Neither party seemed sure of what to say. The horses' hooves on the trail was the only noise against the usual sounds of the forest. Bart was too tired to attempt to initiate conversation. He was eager to reach the city, deliver his message and sleep.

"So," Sir Clark began, "What kind of message does someone send a child to deliver?"

Bart gave him a stone-cold look. "I am not a child. And I was personally entrusted with the mission from the king of the Twin Kingdoms himself."

Clark's concerned look dulled slightly, a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Forgive me. You look young, but you're obviously mature enough to be sent out alone, hundreds of miles from home."

 _If he only knew._ "Now, I just feel like you're mocking me."

"Never. I am merely… curious." Clark replied lightly. Bart rolled his eyes. The air fell silent once more for several minutes before the older man spoke up again. "You never really answered my question."

Bart kept his gaze straight ahead, trying to decide just how much to trust Clark. The man gave off a sense of power and security. Upfront he seemed trustworthy. But, Bart learned the hard way _seemed_ wasn't good enough. Until he met with the king and learned who he trusted, he wasn't going to reveal much. "His highness King Barry wishes to discuss an alliance with the king of Metropolis."

Clark faltered a moment, he turned to Bart, brows furrowed. "An alliance, with Luthor?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what the letter says, but I know that's the basic gist of it." Bart replied. He watched Clark's reaction out of the corner of his eye. The dark haired man bit his lip and his grip on his reins tightened.

"Why the sudden interest?" He asked slowly.

"I-" Bart's mouth twitched into a smile. "I'm not sure. I'm merely a messenger."

Clark smiled too. "Alright, I'll quit prying. But," he searched the red headed boy's face, then continued, "are you sure you're _just_ a messenger? You look very similar to Barry. Are you his son?"

Bart's gaze shifted to the trail ahead. Sometimes he forgot he _wasn't_ Barry's son. In this time and existence he practically was, back home he was a nephew. "No, I'm his… nephew. From his wife's side. He and my aunt took me in when my parents died."

"Sounds like something Barry would do." Bart's look of confusion prompted him to elaborate. "I knew your uncle way back in the day, before he became king. We trained together under the same instructor, though I haven't seen him in years. How is he?"

"He's doing well. Managing the kingdoms keeps him busy, but he takes it all in stride."

Clark nodded in agreement. "Sounds like Barry."

Bart chewed his lip, Clark seemed trustworthy, but just because he knew Barry didn't mean that Bart could just blab out the entire plan. Instead, they rode on in silence.

* * *

The ride into the city took longer because of Rooster's leg. But Sir Clark was patient and rode at whatever pace the injured animal could handle. After two more hours of riding, they merged off the forest trail onto a paved road. The longer they rode, the fewer trees and wild brush populated the terrain. Instead, healthy, thriving villages occupied the rolling hills.

The people looked nothing like the ones in William and Greta's village. No signs of starvation, sleep deprivation, there was a glint of hope in their eyes. From the fields, the workers' laughter could be heard. Bart could feel the tension in his shoulders loosening. Clark seemed to sense his relaxation, he nodded towards the approaching buildings,

"I know a man in this village who can help your horse. Then we can continue on to the main city." He scrutinized Bart, "both he and you need to rest. When was the last time you had a full meal and slept in a bed?"

"I," Bart paused, "I honestly don't know. Star Kingdom I think."

"Hold out for a few more minutes, we're almost there."

The town was beginning to slow down for the day, the sun was beginning to set. Merchants were closing down their stands and packing up their goods for the day. On the roads, field workers walked in with baskets and sickles. They wore tired lines on their faces, but there was still room for weary smiles. The younger men and women joked and chatted quietly while they walked. A quiet hum thrummed through the town, prompting Bart to relax further. The healthy, smiling people were a welcome sight compared to the last village he visited.

"We're going to turn down this side street, then go down a few buildings." Said Clark.

They did just that. Bart read the signs overhanging the small street, trying to get a sense of where they were going. _Seamstress, Fresh Fruits, Blacksmith._ Clark held up his hand signaling for a stop under the blacksmith sign.

"Here we are."

"How's a blacksmith going to help Rooster?" Bart inquired.

Clark smiled. "Besides being spectacular with metals, Vic is pretty good with animals. He's also friends with a traveling animal healer that stays with him time to time. If Gar's also here, Rooster will have two personal attendants."

They dismounted. Bart and Rooster followed Clark around the side of the shop. There was an open market stall with straw flooring. Various metal works such as horseshoes, helmets, and sword handles hung off the walls. Barrels of water were arranged around a large anvil in the center. Over the anvil leant a tall, muscled man. He looked up from his work, Bart peered through the dim stall. The smith's eyes were unlike any Bart had ever seen. His right eye was a soft, deep brown. But the left was a glowing red, surrounded by a patch of metal the size of Bart's palm. Once those eyes made contact with Clark, the man smiled.

"Clark! It's been awhile man. Where've you been?" The guy had really white teeth.

"Hi Vic, his _royal highness_ has been keeping me busy," Clark replied with a snort. "Between his orders and my own responsibilities, I barely have time to sleep."

'Vic' laid down his hammer and scooped up a rag. He began to wipe the soot off his hands, "His latest order is going to have me burning the midnight oil for weeks." The rag was tossed off to the side, "Who's your little buddy?"

"This is Bart."

Bart stepped forward and extended his hand, "Nice to meet you."

Vic stepped forward and grasped Bart's much smaller hand. "I'm Victor Stone. What are you doing in this region?"

"I'm a messenger from the Twin Kingdoms, I need to deliver a message to King Luthor."

Victor frowned, "What does that kingdom want with a slime ball like Luthor?"

"Sorry, it's confidential, I'm just the messenger, even I don't know. I was traveling to the main city, but Rooster started limping."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "You're traveling, with a rooster?"

"No!" Bart pointed to his horse, " _That_ is Rooster." Rooster snorted.

"Still kid, that's weird."

"We were hoping you could take a look at him. I couldn't find anything on the surface." Clark said.

"Admit it, you want Gar to look at him." Vic replied with a smirk. "I know a fair share, but Gar's got a connection." He lumbered over to Rooster and held out his hand, allowing it to be sniffed. Then he ran it down the equine's neck and began to scratch his withers. "Which leg is giving him trouble?"

"Uh, the back right."

Victor petted his way back and around. Rooster visibly tensed when he felt where the man was going. He lifted his leg to try and evade touch but Victor patiently tried to grip it until the animal relaxed. Gently, he prodded and inspected the leg and hoof. Several times Rooster tried to pull away. But the large man remained calm and persisted until Rooster stilled. After a few more moments of observing, Victor set the hoof down and stood up.

"Walk him down the street halfway, then turn around and trot him back to me." He instructed Bart.

Bart did so. Rooster's limp wasn't as bad at the walk as it was when he trotted. Victor watched with a mystified look. When the boy and horse halted at their starting point, Victor let out a sigh. "Honestly, I don't know why he's limping. His feet are in decent condition, no problems with his legs." He patted the horse's neck. "But when Gar gets back, he'll be more of a help."

Bart leaned on Rooster's shoulder, despite his reservations at first, the animal was becoming a friend. In a way he felt responsible for the mysterious injury. Did he push him too hard? Did he neglect a need in some way while focusing on his mission? "When do you think he'll be back?"

"Sometime this evening. He had to make a few farm calls." Victor gestured to his shop stall. "Let me close up, Rooster can rest in the side area and we can go inside and wait for Gar."

Clark gave a tired smile. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble Vic that would be great. After Gar takes a look, I do need to get back to the barracks."

Bart forgot that Clark had duties of his own to perform. "I can handle it from here Sir Clark. I appreciate everything you've done, sorry I've kept you from your duties."

Clark shrugged. "I'm just glad I could help. If you're sure you'll be fine, I probably should get back. No telling what the recruits have done in my absence. My assistant tries hard, but they walk all over him." The knight mounted his horse and gave Victor a wave. "Thank you Vic. Goodbye Bart, good luck with his majesty." He kicked his horse into an easy canter and they disappeared down the street in the fading light.

Vic turned to Bart, "Shall we go inside?"

Bart was exhausted, both mentally and figuratively. Being inside a real building sounded nice. Too tired to answer, he just nodded.

They got Rooster settled in the side of Victor's shop. The horse rested his injured leg and downed a bucket of water. Victor brought him an armful of hay, then they went inside the small attached cottage. Bart followed the blacksmith in. Warm air seeped into his skin after he walked in the doorway. It only added to the present feeling of sleepiness.

The immediate area was a single room with an open fireplace, a table with two crude chairs, and a few crates of various metal works. There was a door on the far wall, two windows let in the only light besides the fire.

"It's not much," said Victor, "but's it's home. Have a seat and I'll rustle up some food."

Bart, too tired to argue, sat in one of the chairs. The warmth of the fire felt nice. He watched the blacksmith move about the room, pulling food items out of crates near the fire. Victor set a bowl with some bread and vegetables in front of the boy. "Eat up. Then you can sleep until Gar gets back."

Bart eagerly took the bowl and began eating. Victor got himself some food before sitting down. He watched the boy scarf the food down. "So, what kind of king sends a kid out alone to deliver messages?" Bart shot him a tired glare. "I mean, you've got smarts, but still, you're a kid."

Bart swallowed. "I'm in training to be a knight. Delivering requests for alliances is simply part of my training."

"Still, you're awfully young to be traveling far by yourself."

"I'm not alone, got Rooster." Bart mumbled.

The corner of Victor's mouth twitched up. "Horses don't count kid." Bart didn't reply, his face was propped up on his hand, his eyelids drooping. Victor sighed. He pushed the food away so the boy wouldn't lay in it.

Bart tried to focus, but his head felt too heavy and his eyes slipped shut.

* * *

"… Which then led to a full herd stampede. I am never going to the O'Leary farm again!"

"Heh heh, that's rough."

Bart willed himself out of the darkness. He forced his eyes to open. He wasn't in the main room anymore. Instead, he was laying on a straw pallet in the other small room. Voices were drifting in from the main room. Bart rubbed his eyes and pulled himself to his feet. Everything was still shifting into focus, but there were two definite shapes in the chairs by the fire.

"Hey there sleeping beauty!" The smaller shape called. Bart blinked, the blur shifted into an outline of a lanky, short man. He had pointed ears and forest green hair. A smile took up the lower half of his face. "You were out! Didn't even stir when Vic moved you."

"Gar, calm down. The kid just woke up, not all of us are instant risers."

Bart blinked harder, trying to awaken his brain. "M' not a kid."

Victor chuckled, "Whatever you say."

"You'll be 'kid' until you're like fifty. He calls me that too!" Gar chimed. "But it applies to me, I think I'm younger than you, but it's going to get annoying when I'm like an adult."

"Gar, shush."

"Sorry!"

Bart's brain finally caught up. There was a green haired elf boy sitting in the living area with Vic. His entire being beamed energy. Bart liked him immediately. "Okay, everything is alive and in focus. I'm Bart," he extended his hand towards the green boy.

He shook it enthusiastically, "Garfield is my given name, but only my mother used it. Please call me Gar."

"Victor said you could possibly look at my-"

"Horse, Rooster right? Hope you don't mind but we already got acquainted. But I wasn't going to exam him until you were awake. How did he get named Rooster?"

"Thanks, I appreciate it, have you not heard him whinny? It sounds like a rooster's crow, annoying, loud, and unnecessary!"

Gar pushed himself up chuckling, "Well, let's go take a look."

The two boys exited the cottage and entered Vic's shop. Rooster stood on the far side, munching on hay. He rested his rear right leg. Bart pointed to it, "The one he's resting, it's been giving him trouble."

Gar walked over. A pale hand rested on Rooster's nose for a moment before shifting down his body. Rooster tensed, he knew the human was going to poke at his leg. Gar tried to lift it, but Rooster kept trying to jerk it out of his reach. After several seconds the young man stood and walked back to the horse's head. Bart watched the green haired boy rest his head against Rooster's. His hand gently stroked the grey mane. Rooster visibly calmed. Again, Gar went and tried to pick up the leg. This time, Rooster complied.

"He's got something special." Bart jumped when Vic spoke from behind him. "Animals have always trusted him. His parents were farmers, his mom had a gift with animals. Everyone around here brought her their animals. Anything from cows, sheep, to dogs and cats." They watched Gar examine the leg. "Gar says animals were his best friends growing up, they think he's one of them."

"Bart, Vic, come take a look at this." Gar called softly.

The pair came over. Vic grabbed the overhanging lantern and held it closer to Gar. "What is it?" Bart asked.

"Look here," Gar pointed just below the knee, "it's barely noticeable but there's a small puncture in the muscle here."

Bart leaned in. Sure enough, under the parted hair, was a tiny hole. "What's it from? How did that cause him to limp so badly?"

"It looks like a dart injection. My mom once worked on some sheep for a farmer that lived near us. The sheep were limping, then they would grow sicker and die. Turns out, a rival farmer was sticking them with poisoned darts. Took mom forever to find the cause because the punctures were near invisible."

Bart rubbed his forehead, "Who would have poisoned him? Rooster never left my sight unless we were in a kingdom." He looked up, realization dawning. "Except… one night, after we left Star. I fell asleep without securing him and he wandered off. It was right after that night he started hurting." He clenched his fists in frustration. "I _knew_ someone was in the woods that night. Aagh, I should have been paying attention!"

Victor put a large hand on his shoulder. "It's no use beating yourself up." He nodded to Garfield, "Can you do anything?"

Gar wiped his hands on his trousers. "Not tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll run to the marketplace and get some more supplies. Afraid that herd of heifers wiped through my stuff."

"Well, since there isn't anything more we can do tonight, let's go and sleep." Said Victor, stifling a yawn.

The three went inside and soon the property fell silent, save for Rooster's occasional snort.

* * *

The next morning Gar left to get supplies and came back with them, plus a new friend. Victor and Bart were in the shop. Bart was petting Rooster when he heard footsteps and hoof beats. Gar came into sight with a box and a horse.

"Gar, when I agreed to let you stay with me part of our agreement was no pets!" Vic said, crossing his arms.

Garfield rolled his eyes and dropped his box near the anvil. "She isn't mine! She's on loan from a friend. Rooster needs a few days off, Bart's going to need transport so Sphere here is going to take of him."

Bart's face scrunched in confusion, "Sphere?"

"Long story short, Connor is ridiculous with names. Sphere here was almost perfectly round when Connor got here. We thought she was with foal, but she was just fat."

Sphere snorted and stomped a hoof in offense. Gar pat her neck in apology.

"Okay… thanks Gar. I appreciate it. I don't know how I'm going to repay you two." Bart gestured back to Victor who simply smiled.

"Don't worry about it kid. Just like to help when we can. Take Sphere, deliver your message in the main city, then come on back. Rooster can rest here."

"Yeah, with my super-secret smelly poultice, he'll be up and running in no time!" Gar chimed in.

Bart walked over to Rooster and rubbed his nose, "You behave, alright?" Rooster snorted green snot all over the boy. Victor and Garfield laughed while Bart wiped his face.

A while later, Sphere's saddle bags were packed and Bart was ready to head on. He gave Rooster a final nose rub, then mounted Sphere.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him!" Gar said. Bart smiled, he turned Sphere and walked her out onto the main street. As it was late morning, it was bustling with people, carts, and animals.

It took a bit to weave through the crowd, eventually he managed to exit the village. The main city was only a few hours ride away.

Tall, glittering columns peaking from hills signaled the arrival to Metropolis. As the pair neared, the columns were tall, windowed towers, but independent from any larger building. A large stone wall surrounded the city with a tall golden wrought iron gate. Towers were positioned evenly along the wall. Sphere halted at the gate. Bart showed his Twin Kingdom crest and the guard at the gate hailed him through. Once inside, the boy's jaw dropped. The stories told of the glories of Metropolis did the city no justice.

The entire city seemed to glow. The streets were almost reflective, light bouncing off them and onto the buildings. Bart had never seen such tall structures, they weren't wide either, and instead they were narrow. Hooked onto the buildings were metallic tubes which connected to water wheels on the ground. Green trees lined the streets. The people walking were all well dressed and healthy. Nothing like the people in Hayes' village.

Once he finished gawking, Bart and Sphere began to ride to the castle. The cobblestone streets were in pristine condition. They looked practically brand new. As they passed market stalls, the vendors waved and smiled. The city felt like a paradise.

At the entrance to the palace, Bart once again showed the crest and his letter. He was quickly let in and ushered into the castle to meet with the king. A guard motioned for the boy to follow him.

The city's glory dimmed in comparison to the castle itself. Glistening marble floors reflected the giant pillars supporting the high ceiling. Stained glass decorated the walls, along with massive paintings. The guard stopped outside a large carved door. He slipped inside, leaving Bart alone in the hall for several moments before returning.

"His majesty will see you now." Then he pushed the door open.

Bart stepped into the throne room, whose model resembled that of the hall. At the end of the room was an ornately carved golden throne. Sat on it was a bald man in rich robes with piercing blue eyes. They didn't have the same light as Clark's, Bart couldn't identify it but it made him uneasy.

"When I was told there was a messenger, I didn't expect one so young!" The man on the throne chuckled. "Please come forward, my curiosity has been peaked."

Bart walked forward and kneeled before the throne. "Your majesty, I bring a message from King Barry of the Twin Kingdoms." He stood, "Is there someplace we could talk in private?"

King Luthor's eyebrow lifted in amusement, "Yes, if you believe that's necessary." He rose and then he and Bart went down the hall into a library. "Alright, now, what is it?"

"Do you have a region map?" Luthor gestured to a map on the wall. Bart began to point, "In recent time, several villages in my kingdom have been attacked in mysterious ways. A village's own guards attacked it, mighty beasts attacked another, and foreign soldiers have attacked our borders. King Barry has reason to believe that these attacks will spread to neighboring regions. So he's inviting you to attend a summit to discuss what is to be done." Bart pulled the letter out of his satchel, "This contains more detailed information."

Luthor tucked the letter in a pocket in his robe. His eerie smile widened. "Now, while your summary of your king's concerns is rather interesting, I'm not sure I'm convinced. These attacks on your homeland are tragic yes, but I don't see why they concern me."

"There is information containing possible attacks on other kingdoms as well," Bart began,

" _Possible_ ," Luthor repeated slowly. "Possible is not definite. Besides, where did this _information_ come from? Did you collect it?"

"Well no, bu-"

"Then how do you know your king isn't trying to save his own skin?"

Bart's blood began to roar, "His majesty is only concerned for the safety of his people and the safety of your kingdom."

Luthor snorted. His piercing eyes scanned the boy. Bart's stomach turned uncomfortably. The sly look molded back onto the king's face. "You look an awful lot like King Barry himself, are you the 'mysterious grandson from another era' that just appeared?" he waved his hands in a grand gesture. "How do we all know that _you_ are trustworthy?"

"I." Bart didn't have an answer for that.

Luthor stood taller with a triumphant air. "Exactly what I thought. You may stay the night if you wish." He stated, crossing the room. He stopped at the door, then turned to face Bart. "Though, I would prefer you to be gone in the morning." The king slipped back out into the hall. Bart was left in the library.

He was not going to stay in this place another minute. King Luthor was infuriating. So arrogant and sly. The boy now understood how a man could allow a majority of his kingdom starve. Just as he was about to exit, another man came into the library. It was Sir Clark. He smirked.

"You have the 'Luthor Experience' look on your face." Bart was about to speak but Clark held up a large hand. "Don't worry, no one really likes him. I bet you can't guess why."

Bart shook his head. "He wouldn't take me seriously! I mean, no one really does, but he just wouldn't listen. I doubt he's even going to look at the letter!"

Clark's facial features were tight. "I listened in. I don't trust Luthor's decisions, so I do my best to make his business my business."

"If the threat is as big as Barry thinks, we could use an ally like Metropolis." Bart muttered in frustration. "But I blew it."

Clark sighed. "No, no you didn't. That's just Lex. Difficult, arrogant, and thick headed." He laid a hand on Bart's shoulder. "But know, there are those who are willing to work behind Luthor's back. And we _will_ stand with whatever kingdoms need us."

Bart stared into the older knight's eyes. They were calming and soft. Bart bit lip, "Thank you."

Clark released his shoulder. "So, are you going to stay?"

Bart shook his head, "No, I still have daylight. I'll take Sphere and ride to Gotham as it's not terribly far. Then I'll swing back through here and get Rooster back. Vic and Gar are caring for him."

"Sphere?" Clark questioned.

"She's a horse that belongs to a friend of Gar's."

"Huh. Okay." Clark gestured towards the door. "I'll escort you out then."

* * *

Bart and Sphere were on the road to Gotham. Personally, he wasn't looking forward to it. Barry purposely avoided the kingdom at all costs. It was home to several insane criminals whose crimes were so awful, they spread about the land. Its king, Bruce, was well known for not allowing 'outsiders' into his kingdom. He was reclusive and cold. Not much else was known.

"Well Sphere, my Metropolis experience was shattered. I have absolutely no hopes for Gotham. Let's just try to get out alive and well." Sphere simply whinnied in reply.

* * *

 _It's so dry, how much time has passed?_

 _It's finally quiet. The jeers, screams, and squeals had stopped._

 _A rusted tin plate holding that suspicious slop is near the entrance._

 _There's no way out, don't bother._

 _Boots… they're coming, hide, hide, HIDE!_

 _Too late, too late, too late, they're here, no place to hide, no place!_

 _PAIN, sorry, sorry…._

 _Laughing, stay quiet sta-_

 _PAIN PAIN PAIN!_

 _Time's slipped by again…_

 _They're gone._

* * *

 **AN: Yay, it's finally up! There may be grammar mistakes but I will swing through and fix those later, I really wanted to post this. I'm going to try and make chapters longer so there will be gaps of no posting because college is barely giving me time to breathe! But I'm hoping to have another chapter up in two weeks. I'm embarrassed at how long it takes me to write, then how few words there are in the end. But es lo qué es!**


	10. Chapter 9

So far the ride had been uneventful. Bart wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen. From the things Barry described about Gotham, he believed there were killer clowns and living scarecrows around every bend. The region had the highest crime rate in the surrounding area. Barry explained that Bruce inherited the mess of a kingdom and his efforts to reform it were not lacking. Unfortunately, he stepped in during the peak of the chaos, therefore progress was slow. Improvements subsisted, but there was plenty work to be done.

Dusk began to fall. The blue of the sky swirled into orange and violet. Bart felt ready to call it a night. His brain began to feel drowsy, his eyes heavy. A colorful blur jerked him back to attention. A group of tents and wagons camped further up the road. A hand-painted sign read 'Glorious Godfrey's Unbelievable Sideshow!'

"I'd feel a lot safer sleeping near a group than alone," Bart remarked to Sphere. "Let's wander in and see if they wouldn't mind us sleeping near them tonight." When they neared he dismounted and he led Sphere into the camp.

Several campfires scattered the camp. Groups of people in colorful, sparkly costumes sat around them. Some cooking, others joking and laughing. A muscled bald man lifted a woman in a skintight gown off the ground, causing some of the other performers to clap. Sphere nickered to a few of the horses tied near one of the tents.

"Well, what do we have here?" A blonde man in blue robes stepped in front of Bart.

"Are you in charge here?" Bart asked. He noticed that most of the people in the camp were now watching them. "I'm a messenger and I was about to rest for the night. Would you mind if I camped near you? Just for the night, that's all."

The man smiled, it was unnerving. "Why, you are most welcome here! Everyone is welcome into the home of the Glorious Godfrey!" He turned to the eavesdropping people, "Friends, this young man is going to stay the night, treat him as if he were one of us!"

The performers nodded in agreement. "Thank you," said Bart gratefully. "We won't be any trouble, we just need a small space on the edge of your camp."

Godfrey's smile warped into a look of exaggerated shock. "No! You may stay inside the camp. It will be much safer! Just place yourself wherever looks suitable. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With a spin on his heel, the Glorious Godfrey marched off.

Bart blinked. _He's a… lively fellow._ Sphere kept jerking the reins out of his hands. The green grass underneath their feet was a tempting snack. Bart scanned for a clear spot where they wouldn't be in the way. "C'mon girlie. You can eat in a moment." They weaved past a few more colorfully painted wagons before reaching a rich, green, grassy area. Bart removed the bit from Sphere's mouth, allowing her better access to the grass.

Bart sat down. Watching Sphere gorge herself felt oddly peaceful. Her gray muzzle began to turn green from the grass. He sat just watching until the sun disappeared. Soon after, he was ready to eat. He stood and was about to usher Sphere back into the camp, a noise made him pause. Sphere's head jerked up. Her ears directed towards the edge of the camp. Her nostrils flared. Bart tied the reins to the saddle horn. "Stay here girl, I'll be back."

Silently, the boy crept among some of the shoddier wagons. This particular set lacked fresh paint and the wood was beginning to rot. Bart could barely read the signs atop them. The noise occurred again. It sounded like a groan. He crept closer to one of the wagons and peered through the barred side. His breath hitched. It wasn't an animal inside, it was a person. He thought.

The creature staring back at him was built like a man, but its skin looked scaly. Its large eyes searched the darkness. Once it made eye contact with Bart, it froze. It pushed itself up hesitantly. Its body was very humanlike, a torso with two arms and legs. Fin-like appendages covered the creature's shoulders and arms.

"Are you okay?" Bart whispered. It, _he_ Bart decided,crept back, further into the cage's corner. "It's alright, I don't mean any harm."

The creature looked young. Maybe he was one of the gifted humans like Bart, Wally, and Barry were. He tucked himself into a tiny ball on the pile of hay, almost like he was willing himself to be invisible. Bart left the wagon. _If he is a person, he shouldn't be in a cage. I need to get in there._ The boy ran back to where he left Sphere. She hadn't moved. He pulled a torch out of his saddle bag, then ran into the more populated part of the camp to one of the small campfires. No one was out, they were most likely sleeping in their tents. Bart lit his torch and crept back to the creature in the wagon.

He still sat in the corner with his hands covering his head. With the light, Bart could now get a better look. Light green scales covered the body instead of skin. Dark green fins also took place on his head. Bart saw heavy purple and blue bruises coating his face and body. Heavy scarring littered the green boy's stomach. To put it mildly, he looked awful.

"Hey," Bart whispered softly. The other boy flinched, further burying himself in his makeshift haven. Bart steeled himself before continuing, "My name is Bart. I'm passing through." No response. "You don't look good. Who did this?" Still no response. "I-I want to help, please, what's your name? Who are you?"

A small noise came from the corner. Bart leaned in closer. "C-could you please repeat that? I couldn't quite hear you."

"Το όνομά μου…" Bart waited. "Το όνομά μου…" The green boy repeated slowly. His hands slowly uncovered his head. Large red eyes met Bart's. They searched for several moments before the boy spoke again. "Το όνομά μου La'gaan."

* * *

The obvious mistreatment of the boy caused Bart to start thinking of a way to get him out of his cage. The boy was sentient, yet treated as if he were an animal. _If they treated an animal like this, it wouldn't pass._ Bart thought bitterly. He needed to get him out. He shined is torch over the door. A giant padlock clamped the door closed. "I'd bet my lunch that Godfrey has the key!" He muttered.

The green, red-eyed boy crawled over to the bars. He cautiously stuck a hand out and pointed. Bart glanced at it, there was webbing in between his fingers. The other boy grunted. Bart looked over his shoulder. A blue tent was pitched several yards away. Bart turned back. "Is that his tent?"

The green boy looked puzzled, then he nodded slowly.

Bart groaned, "You don't speak English." The red eyes just stared. "Alright then. I'll be back, stay here." He placed the torch in a holder on the wagon before jumping off. The red eyed boy still stared. Bart put a finger to his lips before creeping towards the blue tent.

The only thing Bart could hear was his own footsteps. His heart pounded. Guttural snoring came from inside. Bart delicately pulled open the flap and squinted, trying see through the dark. A dark bundle was huddled in the corner. _There's Godfrey._ Bart edged into the tent. _So far so good._ Near the entrance sat a trunk. On top of it lay Godfrey's blue coat. _Guess I'll check the pockets first._ He felt around the first, nothing. The second pocket yielded better results. Cold metal met the boy's fingertips. He clenched his fist and pulled out a ring with keys. _Time to get back to my friend._

The caged boy still sat pressed against the bars when Bart zipped back. His eyes unblinking. Bart climbed back up the wagon. He began testing keys with his speed. On key eight he heard a _click._ He swung the door open. "C'mon, you can get out!" He called softly. The other boy didn't move. "It's okay, everyone's sleeping! But we need to get out before they realize something's up!" The green boy pushed himself onto his hands and knees, then weakly crawled over to the doorway. Gripping the doorframe, he struggled to pull himself to his feet. Bart gently caught his arm which caused the other to jerk away violently. Bart winced as he hit the floor of the cage. The green boy made a hissing sound and backed away.

"Sorry I scared you. I-I don't know what they did to you, but believe me, I'm not going to hurt you." The red head extended his hand slowly. Red eyes looked hopeful for a second before disbelief took over. Once again the other boy tried to stand. When he wobbled, he gripped Bart's hand.

It took a while for Bart to help the other climb down. They made their way into the clearing where Sphere still stood eating. She glanced up and seemed to sense the green boy's distress. She approached and buried her soft nose into his abdomen. He tensed before laying a webbed hand on her head.

"You need to ride her, you're in no shape to run." Bart insisted. The other shook his head. "I'll help you up, there's no way you could run fast enough!" The green boy looked at Sphere then again at Bart. Hesitantly he nodded. It took a few minutes but Bart managed to maneuver the other onto Sphere. She stood patiently as if sensing her rider's fear.

"Listen, we're going to run for Gotham at full blast for however long Sphere can, alright?" Bart said. "Now, hold on!" He wrapped his hand around the horse's bridle and began moving forward. She broke into a brisk walk. Bart clucked his tongue and picked up speed. The other boy's red eyes widened at Bart's ability to keep pace with Sphere. The group ran at full speed until Sphere began to pant. Bart began to slow.

Now, they were at least a mile from the freak show. Sphere's nostrils flared and her sides heaved. Bart bent over, also panting hard.

"πώς τρέξατε τόσο γρήγορα?!" Bart looked up at his traveling companion. His eyes were wide and his jaw open is disbelief.

"It's a gift, it uh kinda runs in the family." Bart explained. The green boy just nodded slowly. "Can you even understand English?" A blank stare. "Okay then. We need to walk Sphere out so she doesn't get sick, then we'll stop for a few hours." Another stare.

* * *

The rest of the night went by peacefully. After the run on a few hours' sleep, Bart fell asleep quickly. When he awoke, green boy was sitting by Sphere, petting her neck. In the morning light Bart could get a better look at his strange traveling companion. Overall the boy looked like a lizard with his green skin and large red eyes. But encrusted from his shoulders down his arms and legs were darker green fin-like appendages. Between his fingers and toes was webbing. For the first time, Bart noticed the thin slits carved into the green neck. The only thing he could imagine they'd be are gills.

"Morning." Bart called. Green boy looked over and smiled.

"ευχαριστώ."

"Listen, we need to find a way around this language barrier since it seems we're going to be in close contact for a while." Bart sighed. "I don't even know what to call you." Bart pointed to himself. "I'm Bart."

The green boy stared for a moment before pointing at Bart. "Bart?" He asked.

"Yeah, and you?" Bart gestured to the green boy.

"La'gaan." The green boy said, tapping on his chest.

Bart smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "Nice to meet you." He pushed himself onto his knees and began rolling up his blanket. "We should probably get moving again. I'm going to Gotham. After I complete my business, I'll try to find someone to help you get where ever you're from." He packed everything back into his saddlebag. The trio began their journey once again.

Since both boys didn't weigh much, they both rode Sphere. An awkward silence filled the passing hours. Bart could tell when they were nearing Gotham. The flourishing trees slowly transformed into ones that were sickly and bare. The sky turned dark, the sun couldn't be seen through the layers of smog. Unlike most of the kingdoms in the region, Gotham didn't have many smaller villages. Well, it did at one point in time, but thanks to the vicious criminals that roamed the area, most had been burned to the ground. The remaining villages were settled further past the border.

"Judging by the… depressing scenery I'd say we're almost there." Bart muttered. He glanced behind him and noticed La'gaan looked green, not his normal green, more of a sicker hue. "Hey do we need to stop a minute? Are you okay?" Bart pulled on the reins. La'gaan swayed gently.

Bart slid to the ground and carefully brought his companion down as well. He slung a green arm over his shoulder. "Let's walk for a moment," he said. The boys shuffled up the path a ways before La'gaan slid to the ground. A webbed hand covered his mouth and nose. He broke into a coughing fit; Bart ran back to Sphere and grabbed a canteen of water out of his saddle bag. La'gaan snatched it out of his hand and drunk it down quickly. But he refused to uncover his face.

"What's the matter?" Bart questioned. La'gaan gestured to his gills and nose before pointing to the sky. Bart looked up, "there's nothing up there except," he paused, suddenly understanding, "the smog, it's irritating your… gills?"

La'gaan nodded desperately, he looked hopeful that Bart now understood. Bart went back to his saddlebag and dug through for a moment. He pulled out a thick scarf Iris insisted he take. He walked back over to La'gaan and draped it around his neck and the lower part of his face. "Hopefully that helps, it's going to be a bit warm but it might block out the smog."

La'gaan sat still for a moment. Then he gave Bart a thumbs up. "καλύτερα." The scarf slightly muffled his voice.

"Great! If you're ready, let's get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave!" They mounted Sphere and resumed their journey.

The smog and dreary scenery only worsened the farther they rode. Dark clouds hung heavy, the sky presented a dirty red. Bart could barely make out the outline of the city in the distance. For its depressing atmosphere, the city appeared itself appeared in good condition. The gates and roads looked kept. As they rode further in the shops and other buildings looked sound despite the soot covering them. The people walking the area looked normal, no clowns or scarecrows, if not tired. _Though living in a dark place like this would make anyone feel bland._

"Where the heck is the palace?" Bart wondered aloud. In the last few kingdoms, the path wasn't this difficult to find. They wandered deeper in the city, but still saw nothing leading to the castle. The further in, the creepier it got. If possible, the darkness increased, adding to the depressing atmosphere. The people looked more haggard, the streets more dirty. Some eyed Bart's saddle bag hungrily. La'gaan stayed silent, unconsciously adjusting the scarf higher on his face. Unfortunately, his green skin and fins drew one swaying man's attention.

"E's got a lizard up on that wit' 'im!" The grizzly man shouted, pointing his bottle at La'gaan.

"Just ignore him," Bart whispered. The drunk man's yells quieted as they rode farther away. But his words caught the attention of others. Soon, a small crowd of people had gathered near the road to gawk. La'gaan shifted uncomfortably at the pointing fingers and attention. A few young men had the guts to come closer. One grabbed Sphere's reins, stopping her.

Before Bart could protest, another man reached up and yanked the scarf down. He recoiled in disgust. "It's no lizard! It's a monster!" La'gaan hid his face in Bart's shoulder. The other people stepped back and a murmur spread through the crowd.

Sphere yanked her head back and forth, trying to get free. But the man's grip was too tight. The crowd began to press in tighter. Bart heard a growl in his ear. La'gaan was beginning to bare his _very sharp_ teeth and in certain spots his skin began to glow.

"What seems to be the problem here?"

Everyone's attention shifted to a white-haired, mustached man standing on the edge of the crowd. His imposing, but lean figure was emphasized by a long brown leather coat. His hand clutched the grip of his sword. "If there isn't one, why don't you all go about your business?"

The small gathered crowd dispersed. The mustached man walked up to Bart and La'gaan. "Are you boys alright?"

Bart nodded. "Thank you…?"

"I'm Commissioner Gordon, chief of the city guard." He sent a glare at the retreating groups of people. "You shouldn't be down here. It's dangerous, even for locals."

"Well, we didn't intend to be. I'm a messenger on behalf of King Barry of the Twin Kingdoms. I need to deliver a message to the palace, but there's nothing to direct us."

The commissioner ran a hand through his hair. "Things here work… differently. Our king is rather reclusive, a fair man just not very social. The palace is through town and up on Manor Hill. I could take you there if you'd like."

They'd be safer if the commissioner came along. Bart reasoned. Just wandering wasn't the safest decision. "We'd appreciate that."

"My headquarters are down a side street, let me get a horse and we'll be off."

* * *

The wind began blowing harder once the small group exited the town. The smoggy clouds turned darker and began rumbling softly. Commissioner Gordon looked up at the darkening sky. "We're in for a storm before nightfall."

"How can you even tell when it's night?" Bart asked. "It's so dark already."

"Simple. It gets even darker."

The terrain started getting rockier and overgrown the more they rode up the hill. Built upon the edges of the hill were stone walls overgrown with various grasses. Tall, pointed peaks could barely be seen through the dark.

"It's only about half a mile more." Shouted the commissioner over the wind. "Then we'll be at the main gates."

"Why is the castle so far?" Bart shouted back.

"The king's parents were murdered when he was just a boy. It hit him hard and he shut himself away. Until he was old enough to rule, surrogates took over and ran this place into the ground. The man inherited a mess, but he's working through it. Rioters destroyed the original castle in town years ago. The current castle is actually a smaller private one owned by the king's family."

Thunder rumbled loudly. The horses' shot forward. La'gaan nearly fell off as Bart pulled Sphere into a circle. After a few moments and a few more rolls of thunder, the horses quieted down again.

"We need to move faster," Bart shouted over the wind. "The storm is rolling in fast."

They kicked the horses into a canter and continued uphill. A rusted, iron gate came into view. Commissioner Gordon rode slightly ahead to arrive at the gate first. Bart squinted and could see a small guard's tower on the gate's left. The two guards inside leaned out to speak to the commissioner. Even though he halted Sphere a couple yards behind Gordon, he couldn't hear the conversation over the wind. Finally, a guard nodded and the gate creaked open. They rode inside, not stopping until they reached the entrance. A stable-boy ran out from the side and took the horses. La'gaan looked at Bart, then pointed at the retreating horses.

"It's okay, we'll get Sphere back. They're just giving her shelter." Bart said, slightly confused.

La'gaan shook his head. He gestured first to himself, then to the horses again.

"Do you want to go with the horses?" Bart asked haltingly. La'gaan stared. "Right, yeah sure, go ahead." Bart nodded. La'gaan jogged off after the horses.

"Where'd you find him?" The commissioner asked.

"A freak show. And he wasn't there willingly. I think he might be some type of Atlantean."

"Huh. Let's head in."

The inside of the castle was almost as dark as outside. A few torches hung off the walls but they did little to combat the darkness. Bart looked in awe at the incredible paintings of the Wayne family decorating the walls.

"Welcome sirs." An accented voice said.

Bart turned and saw a man in smart robes with white hair and a mustache.

"Hello Alfred." Gordon replied. "Is his majesty busy? This young man here is a messenger from the Twin Kingdoms."

"His highness is in his study, follow me, I shall take you to him." They followed Alfred down halls and through twists and turns until they stopped in front of a large door. "One moment," Alfred intoned, stepping into the room.

Bart and the commissioner waited several minutes before Alfred stepped out again. "He is ready, please come in."

The inside of the study was slightly brighter. Hunkered over a desk against the right wall was a solid built man. He set down his papers and turned to his visitors. _He and Sir Clark could be brothers!_ The king of Gotham was built leaner than Clark, but shared the black hair and blue eyes. His gaze settled on Bart. It caused the boy to shiver, it was cold at first, empty. Then they softened, the blue shifting to deep pools of calm.

Bart walked closer and knelt on the ground. "Your highness, my king, Barry of the Twin Kingdoms, sent me to deliver sensitive information."

Bruce held out an open palm. "Rise." He nodded at the commissioner who stepped inside the study and closed the door behind him. "I trust the commissioner and Alfred with my life. Anything I hear, they do too."

Bart got up and walked closer to the maps above the desk. As he did in Star City and Metropolis, he explained the mysterious attacks and King Barry's further worries. The king, commissioner, and Alfred all paid deep attention. King Bruce propped his chin on his hand, Bart could see his mind working. After he finished explaining, the room sat in silence. Just as he was going to defend his king, Bruce spoke.

"Barry wouldn't reach out if he wasn't truly concerned." He paused, "I make it my business to know and log attacks such as these, those without explanation. But I've never heard anything like this before." He stood, the chair scraped the stone floor.

"I'm also supposed to give you this." Bart handed him a letter. Bruce looked at it then set it on his desk.

"What is your name?" He asked Bart, looking him over.

"Bartholomew sire. But everyone just calls me Bart."

"Bart, Alfred will take you to get some food and give you a place to rest. I need to discuss matters with Commissioner Gordon." Bruce signaled and Alfred stepped back to the door.

"This way young sir."

Alfred and Bart left the room. Bart walked beside Alfred, steps echoing off the dark hallway. "I have a friend with me." He said. "He's in the stables because he feels safer with the horses."

"I shall make sure your friend is taken care of." Alfred replied.

"Well, you see, he's… different looking. I think he's Atlantean, very… fishlike?"

"Believe me Master Bartholomew, when one has lived in Gotham as long as I, hardly anything phases me."

Bart munched on the food Alfred placed in front of him. The elderly man had led Bart into the kitchen, which wasn't as dark as the other parts of the castle. Alfred stood across the large table from Bart, chopping vegetables. The stew in the bowl tasted amazing, unlike anything Bart had ever tried.

"Thank you sir." Bart said between bites. "This is amazing, I've never eaten anything like it!"

Alfred smiled slightly, "Thank you Master Bartholomew. It's an old family recipe I brought with me from the Old Region." He scraped his diced vegetables into a bowl. "I also had the stable boy take some out to your friend."

"Thank you. He's my responsibility until I get him home, where ever that it." He set his spoon down in his bowl. He glanced around the quiet kitchen, noting the lack of other people. "Are there any other people who work here? I haven't seen anyone except you and the stable boy."

Alfred began adding various spices to his vegetable bowl. "No one besides a gardener, the stable boy, and myself. Master Bruce is a very quiet, private person. He never hires anyone he doesn't need."

Silence filled the room before Bart spoke, "Do… do you think he'll help Barry?" When he realized what he said he tried to backtrack, "Sorry that was dumb, I was just thinking aloud I guess, it's been a while since I've talked to someone who spoke English and wasn't a horse…" he trailed off.

"Master Bartholomew, Master Bruce believes wholeheartedly in doing the right thing. You presented your kingdom's case very well, I cannot guarantee that he will ally with your kingdom, but there is a very slim chance he won't." Alfred picked up his bowl and moved it to a table next to the kitchen fire. "Would you like to be shown to the library? Or perhaps a room where you could sleep?"

"Actually, I'd like to see La'gaan, if it's not too much trouble."

"No, not at all. I will call in the stable boy."

Bart followed the boy through the windy courtyard and around the back to the stable. The temperature inside was warmer. The smell of hay and horsehair was prominent. Not very many horses occupied the stable, only about ten plus Sphere, who stood in her own stall munching some hay. La'gaan sat in front of her stall, scraping his bowl of stew, trying to get the remains. His head shot up when he heard Bart approach, but he quickly relaxed and smiled.

"Hi La'gaan, how are you doing?" La'gaan tilted his head. "Oh right. Well, you look like you're alright."

Sphere walked over and swung her head over the stall door. La'gaan reached up and stroked her nose. "It's good to see you two getting along." Bart said. "La'gaan," the green boy looked up, "Do you want to go inside? Maybe sleep in a bed?" Bart pointed in the castle's direction. Then he knelt on the ground and drew a picture of a bed in the dirt. He pointed at La'gaan, then to the picture.

La'gaan looked at the picture and in the castle's direction before shaking his head. He gestured with a finned green arm to the piles of hay.

"This isn't the sideshow, you're not an animal to us. You can come inside, sleep off the ground, eat at a table. I'm not sure how you live from where you're from, but I can tell you're not just a dumb fish-man." Bart finished his spiel. La'gaan couldn't understand the works, but maybe he could understand the tone. "I know I'm speaking gibberish to you. But I promise we'll find a way to get you wherever home is."

La'gaan stared at Sphere for a minute. The barn was silent except for the various sounds of horses. The green boy looked up at Bart and smiled.

"You're gibberish sounds pretty good to me chum."

* * *

 **AN: ... Okay this took a little longer than planned. I had midterms. Every spare moment was spent studying. I'm posting this early, so it's shorter and very unedited. The next update may take longer as I want to make chapters longer. Thanks for being patient. Have a great Halloween!**


	11. AN Note

**Hello, this isn't a chapter, that's in the works still. I apologize for it taking so long, I had a plan but I've had finals and final projects to study for and my family had a medical emergency so I've been the prime driver/responsible person for a while. But don't give up on my or this story! I will replace this note with the next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	12. Chapter 10

Bart stared at the grinning green boy. His brows tightened, his blood ran hot. "You mean you could understand me this entire time?!" His clench fists began vibrating.

La'gaan's smile slipped off his face. His red eyes focused on Bart's vibrating form. "I didn't mean any offense! I wanted to make sure you could be trusted!"

"Trust is a two way street." Bart gritted out. His vision was beginning to blur so he tried to calm down and stop the vibrating.

The green boy shifted his gaze to Sphere eating. He looked ashamed. "I didn't want to upset you. I'm sorry. My experiences with surface dwellers have been… not good. I planned to stick with you until I had some idea where the ocean was, then I was going to run. If you turned out no better than those fools at the sideshow I planned to bail early." La'gaan stood and brushed the hay off his pants. "Maybe we could start over?"

Bart wasn't in the mood. He had enough problems trying to establish credibility with his age and circumstances. Then, he saves a guy from a freak show and _he_ didn't trust him. This cycle was beginning to wear down on him. But really, what was the use in holding a grudge? "Fine."

"Greetings, I'm La'gaan from the region of Atlantis."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Bart from Twin Kingdoms."

The boys shook hands and La'gaan's grin returned. "Good to meet you chum. It's nice to be able to talk again." He yawned. "But I want to sleep first."

"Now that our language barrier is conveniently gone, would you rather sleep inside?"

"Nah, stories of Gotham reach even the deepest parts of Atlantis. That castle is probably haunted. I'm not risking it." La'gaan flopped into a haystack. "This is already better than my cage."

Chills ran up Bart's spine. He didn't believe in ghosts, he'd seen real monsters. But since those existed… couldn't ghosts? "If you don't mind, I'll join you. The castle is too dark and empty for my liking."

La'gaan chuckled and rolled over, making more room. "Come on in. Plenty of room!"

Bart flopped down limply. His arm slapped onto La'gaan's green torso. "Ugh! Watch the appendages chum!"

They both giggled (Bart would deny this to the very end) for a few minutes before falling silent. Bart's eyes felt heavy. He tilted his head back into the hay and fell asleep.

"…. I tried sir. But they insisted."

"…. Perfectly good beds inside. Why would they sleep out here?"

Bart sat up. Across the stable, near the door, stood Alfred and King Bruce. He glanced to his side, but didn't see his green companion. Alfred noticed his awakened state first. "Good morning young master! Breakfast is ready in the main dining room. I haven't seen your friend though."

"I heard him scuttle off as I opened the door. He's most likely around the back near the pastures." Bruce stated.

"Why don't you fetch him?" Alfred directed the question towards Bart. "Then I shall lead you both to the dining room, where his majesty will _wait._ " He said the last part pointedly in the king's direction. King Bruce huffed in annoyance and exited the stable. Alfred watched him until he was out of sight. Then he motioned towards the back of the barn. "I will wait here."

Bart went out and saw La'gaan leaning over a fence, petting a horse. "Hey," he called. La'gaan turned and gave a small wave. "Want to go inside and get some food? It might be our only real meal for a while."

"I'll be okay, you go ahead."

"No one's going to do anything. Not all, what'd you call us? Surface dwellers? Not all surface dwellers are like Godfrey. I won't let them do anything." La'gaan didn't reply. "Are you really going to miss out on Alfred's food? My friend Joan back home has competition."

La'gaan broke into a small smile. "Well… alright. But if things get sketchy, I make no guarantees what will happen chum."

"Fair enough. Now let's go, I'm starving!"

If dinner was great, the morning meal was legendary. Bart and La'gaan were seated across from each other, with King Bruce at the head of the table. An awkward silence hung over the room. La'gaan was still pretending to not understand English and Alfred didn't sit at the main table, leaving Bart and Bruce as the main conversation holders. Bart took advantage of the silence to plan his route. After leaving Gotham, it'd be smartest to get to Atlantis. Then La'gaan could be home and Bart could speak to the king. Then he'd head onto Themyscira. King Bruce clearing his throat brought him back to attention.

"You're Barry's nephew?" The king asked. His tone was passive, but his eyes glimmered with mistrust. Bart wasn't sure which version of his story Bruce had been told. To some, Barry told the truth, or what he thought was the truth. Bart was his grandson who traveled back in time due to an accident involving an angry wizard. To others he introduced the boy as a long lost nephew or the son of a dear friend who had recently passed.

"Um yeah. Sort of…" Bart shrugged. Bruce sat up a little straighter, his eyes widening in interest.

"Sort of?" He inquired.

"My father was a friend of his. He passed away in a hunting accident awhile back and his majesty took me in. As a favor." He hoped that explanation would be satisfactory.

Bruce hummed. "I see. Well, he must think very highly of you to entrust you with this mission."

"I like to think so your highness."

Bruce watched La'gaan eat for a moment before returning his attention back to Bart. "And how did you come across your friend?"

La'gaan froze for a minute second, then continued his ruse. "I uh, met him on the road." La'gaan shot him a grateful look. "Through a long game of charades I figured out he needed help getting back to Atlantis."

Bruce nodded and returned to his meal.

Alfred entered the room. "Sire, Master Timothy has returned."

 _Timothy… one of the king's sons Timothy?_

Bart's question was answered when a lean dark-haired boy in armor entered the room. He didn't pause, walking directly to Bruce's chair and kneeling. "Your majesty."

"Rise," Bruce gestured. Timothy stood and seemed to notice La'gaan and Bart for the first time.

"My pardon, I didn't know you had guests."

"No trouble, please sit, eat." Bruce insisted.

"Sit down, I will fetch you a plate Master Timothy." Alfred swooped out of the room.

Given little choice, Timothy pulled out the chair nearest to Bruce and sat down.

"Tim, the knight is Bartholomew of the Twin Kingdoms and nephew to King Barry, and his friend is La'gaan of presumably Atlantis."

"It's an honor your majesty," Bart bowed his head, "My unclespeaks highly of your tactician prowess."

Timothy flushed slightly, "My rank isn't high enough for the title, 'Tim' works fine."

Alfred reentered with a plate loaded high with food. "I expect this to be half gone before you attempt to do anything else." He set the plate in front of Tim. "Am I understood?"

Tim quickly nodded. "Of course Alfred." He then set to eating.

The awkward tension returned. The king looked very interested in his meal and Timothy's foot was tapping beneath the table. La'gaan met Bart's gaze and jerked his head towards the door. Bart nodded, also eager to escape whatever was in the room. Bart rose to his feet. "Thank you your majesty for your hospitality. But I need to keep moving and La'gaan needs to get home."

"Thank you for delivering the message. I intend to investigate the matter further, but if there is a threat, Gotham will stand beside your kingdom."

"Many thanks your highness. It was a pleasure to meet you Tim."

With that, Bart and La'gaan exited. They walked down the cold stone hallway, heading back to the stable. La'gaan sighed. "That was awkward. If there wasn't food I would have ditched sooner."

"No kidding, let's back up Sphere and get out of here."

Bart saddled Sphere and adjusted her saddlebags while La'gaan fed her handfuls of hay. They led her out to the courtyard. Both were surprised to see Alfred waiting.

"I have some food for you to take on the road." The older man held up a sack.

"Thank you sir." Bart managed to fit it into a saddlebag. "We appreciate it."

"No problem young Master. Safe travels to you and your friend."

The boys climbed on Sphere and after waving to Alfred, they took off.

When they were a good distance from the castle, Bart pulled Sphere back down to a walk. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to Metropolis to get my horse back and return Sphere."

La'gaan looked confused. "Sphere isn't yours?" He leaned over Bart and stroked the horse's mane.

"No, she's a friend of a friend's. My horse, Rooster, got hurt. Someone got him with poison, it made him limp really bad. Sir Clark, the captain of the guard in Metropolis, introduced me to some friends who helped him recover. Then _they_ have a friend who loaned me his horse."

La'gaan snorted. "What friendly folks that inhabit Metropolis. Is it really as fantastic as they say?"

"The main city is yeah. But the surrounding villages are poor, starving. The people are barely surviving."

It was silent for a few moments before La'gaan muttered, "Sounds like home."

Bart waited to see if he'd see more. But the green boy stayed silent. "Speaking of home, if you'd like we could bypass Metropolis and head straight to the coast."

"No!" La'gaan snapped. "I mean, no it's alright. I-I like traveling with you. Let's get your horse, then you can take me home and visit his majesty Orin."

Night was just beginning to fall by the time they'd reached the Metropolis village. The town square and surrounding streets were silent save for Sphere's hooves on the brick. They halted outside Victor's blacksmith shop. Bart slid off and knocked on the door.

"Go away! We're closed!"

"Vic, it's Bart!"

"Hey Vic it sounds like Bart! He survived Gotham?"

"Just a moment."

The door swung open to Victor's red eye and hulking figure. Gar ducked under his arm and squeezed outside to greet the red haired boy.

"Welcome back! And congratulations on surviving! Rooster's in tip-top shape and ready to see you." The green boy ran out to see Sphere and stopped abruptly at seeing La'gaan. "Whoa, you brought a friend! Hi, I'm Gar," he thrust a green hand out, "and the giant is Victor."

La'gaan reached down and shook the offered hand. "I'm La'gaan."

"Okay, why are you talking to them?" Bart asked, throwing his hands up in the air. "I rescue you, I keep you fed and smog free, and it still took several days."

Vic and Gar looked confused while La'gaan shrugged. "He's green too, he can be trusted."

"That seems like faulty logic!"

"Let's put Sphere away, then you can tell us the entire story." Victor grumbled.

After a brief reunion with Rooster, (Who was happy to see Bart and it made the boy happier than he'd ever admit) Bart and La'gaan told the story of their meeting and the rest of the trip. Gar got excited when they mentioned meeting Tim.

"How is he?" He asked, eyes brightening, "It's been awhile. I stopped there once to help heal some horses with my mom. Tim was there, he's quiet but nice."

"He looked fine." Bart replied. "He'd just gotten back from a mission so he looked tired."

"Well I'm tired." Victor grunted. "Let's get some sleep and resume this pow-wow in the morning.

La'gaan was barely sitting up. He nodded in agreement. He and Bart lay on blankets in front of the fire, allowing the crackling to lull them to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Bart awoke and went to go visit with Rooster. Even though he wasn't crazy about taking the equine along at first, he'd grown on him. Rooster nickered and even left his hay to wander over to Bart. The boy grinned and began to stroke the horse's head, making sure to scratch under his mane. His coat and mane looked healthy. His dark eyes had a light in them again. "Gar's been doing a good job taking care of you huh?" Rooster snorted his breakfast all over the boy as a reply. "Ugh, gross!" Bart wiped his tunic of chewed up hay. He playfully grabbed and shook his horse's muzzle. Rooster pulled away and returned to his breakfast.

"He missed you."

Bart nearly jumped out of the makeshift stall. Gar was rocking on the balls of his feet.

"He did. Every time somebody walked by the stall during open hours, he'd lean out and nicker. I kept him all groomed, changed his leg wrap, and walked him around."

"That's nice to hear." Bart replied. "Thanks for all your help with him. I'm not too smart with animals."

"No problem! Animals are my thing. Maybe if you have time after the mission, you could come and hang out with me for a while. I'll have you speaking critter in no time!"

"Y'know, I might take you up on it."

The two watched Rooster eat. Bart sighed. "Well, we should probably head out." He went back into the house to find La'gaan.

Bart was inside packing his saddle bags when an unfamiliar face popped into the main room.

"Hi, is Vic around?"

Bart, a little startled, took a moment to reply. This guy looked like the young version of Clark. The same blue eyes and dark hair. "He's around the back, restocking his supply."

"Great thanks. I'm Connor by the way, Gar's friend."

"Oh! I'm Bart, thank you so much for lending me Sphere. I took good care of her, she's wonderful."

Connor stepped fully into the room. "I'm glad she worked out for you. I haven't been able to get her out much. I'm sure she enjoyed the adventure."

Bart rose to his feet. "It was nice meeting you, but I need to find my friend and we need to be on our way."

Connor followed him out to the stable where Gar and La'gaan stood chattering. Somehow being green was good for an instant friendship. Gar lit up more when he saw Connor.

"Hey my man!" He pulled the taller man into a hug.

"Hi Gar, how're the animals?" Connor patted his friend's back.

"Same old same old. How's your training going?"

Connor groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, I guess. I still have too much anger and not enough technique."

"Eh, try hitting harder. That might help!" Gar suggested. Connor just rolled his eyes laughing. "Oh, this is La'gaan, my new friend from the sea!"

"Hi, I'm Connor!" La'gaan gave a small wave. Connor frowned, looking from La'gaan to Bart to Rooster.

"Do you only have one horse?"

"Just Rooster."

"There's two of you, it'd be much more convenient if you had two horses." He patted Sphere's neck. "Keep Sphere longer. She looks good and I don't have anything for her to do."

"You'd let us borrow her longer?" Bart asked.

Connor nodded. "If you want to, yeah."

"That'd be amazing! Thank you."

Connor just smiled. "I should thank you for keeping her in shape. Have a safe journey." He turned to Gar and Victor. "I need to head back to the barracks, I'll come back later." Then he left the stall.

With two horses, they were able to pack more provisions. La'gaan mounted Sphere and Bart Rooster. They waved goodbye to Victor and Gar then headed off. For only learning to ride a few days ago, La'gaan rode rather well.

"Are you ready to be home again?" Bart asked.

La'gaan didn't answer. Instead, staring straight ahead. Bart tried again,

"Your family is probably worried sick with you going missing and all." Still nothing. "How did Godfrey manage to catch you anyway?"

La'gaan stiffened. But he gave an answer. "I was being stupid." He kicked Sphere and rode at a faster pace a few feet ahead. Rooster tried to pick up pace to catch up with his new friend, but Bart held him back. Home and anything associated with it was sensitive for La'gaan. He could respect that. His grandfather had tried, in the beginning, to learn more about the future. Bart usually responded that he couldn't share too much in risk of changing time, but in reality, the future was a wasteland. It wasn't glorious or prosperous. But potentially warning everyone wasn't an option. Time couldn't be changed, just delayed.

* * *

The first two days of their journey were uneventful. They kept up a good riding pace and had uneventful nights. It was quiet too. Bart made most of the conversation, with La'gaan replying with short answers or just nodding. The closer they made it to the coast, the more closed off the green boy became. On the third day, Bart recognized the area. They were nearing Greta and William's village. He wanted to check on them and give them some of his provisions as a thank you for their help on his earlier journey.

"We're nearing one of the outer villages." He informed La'gaan. "A brother and sister here helped me out on my way here. If it's alright with you I'd like to stop and see them."

La'gaan shrugged, "Fine with me." Then once again he fell silent.

The paved road faded into a muddy path. Bart recognized the shabby buildings approaching quickly from the distance. The air felt heavy. La'gaan pulled on his reins, causing Sphere to stop. Bart turned to ask what was wrong when the green boy pulled a long brown cape with a hood out of his saddlebag. He swung it around and tied it in the front, then pulled the hood up, effectively hiding his head and most of his body. "It's from Gar." He said, noticing Bart's confusion. "He says it helps with the staring."

 _Probably not a bad idea in these parts. People already don't trust humans, I can't imagine how they'd react to an Atlantean._

Rooster began to resist going forward. Sphere soon followed suite then both horses began pawing the ground. The boys gently tapped the horses, but the equines refused to go forward. La'gaan coughed. Bart sniffed the air.

 _Smoke._

He jumped off Rooster, now able to see a growing orange glow. He tossed the reins to La'gaan. "If they get too jumpy run back, I'll catch up!" Before La'gaan could respond, he took off in a flash.

The closer he got, the thicker the smoke. In only a second he was standing in the town square. No one could be seen, but he saw a mass of footprints leading out of the town. _At least people were leaving…_ He ran down the side street that led to Greta and William's house. The roof was on fire, though it was logical to think they fled with everyone else, Bart had to check for his own piece of mind. He sped into the house, his mind taking everything in in thousandths of a second. But it took a few to recognize Greta's body, crumpled in the corner.

He dashed over to her. Her body was cold despite the flames above. Her chest was a bloody gaping hole, her heart was missing. There was nothing he could do.

 _ ***Everyone was screaming. Their hideout had been found. They already slaughtered the old and weak. He ran as fast as he dared on an empty stomach. He focused on getting to the edge of the valley, then he could lose them in the woods.**_

" _ **Bart!" He stopped, someone called for him. "BART, HELP!" He saw one of the younger kids, Irey was her name, running as fast as her thin legs could carry her. A scout flew over, closing in on her quickly. He didn't even have time to shout a warning, in a blast of light Irey lay on the ground, curled in on her stomach. He ran to her side, he flipped her over, her lifeless eyes met his. He didn't have much time to mourn, a laser bolt hit the ground on his right. He had to keep running.***_

Greta had been attacked before the fire. Maybe the perpetrator started here. Bart pulled a blanket over her body and ran out before the roof collapsed. He didn't see William anywhere. "William!" He screamed into the smoke. No reply. "Billy!" Nothing. He needed to return to La'gaan. The green boy remained in the spot where he left him, but he was coughing. Bart quickly mounted Rooster. "Let's go!" But through the smoking shielding their path, Bart could make out a tall figure. "Hello? You need to get out of here, it's not safe!" The figure walked closer to them. Bart squinted, trying to make them out through the smoke.

It was William, Greta's brother.

"William, what happened? Who killed Greta? Are you alright?" Bart asked frantically. William didn't look disturbed or distressed, despite the raging fire and the fact his long coat was covered in blood. "Billy?" Bart tried again, _the guy must be in shock._

But William didn't respond, looking anything but shocked. Instead he walked closer before stopping several feet away. La'gaan gasped. Bart's eyes stung, but the pain was secondary when they met what La'gaan saw. In William's clenched fist was something red and dripping. It looked like an organ. _Greta's heart._ He chuckled at the boys' looks of horror.

"Billy is no more. Because of his pure heart, only Harm exists now." William smiled. He reached into his coat and drew out a longsword. Bart recognized it.

"That, that's the Sword of Beowulf! But the legends say it can only be wielded by those pure of heart!"

Harm's grin darkened. "The legend never said pure good. Only Greta stood in the way of Harm becoming pure. She had to go."

Bart's fists tightened, he saw red. "YOU KILLED HER? YOUR OWN SISTER?!"

Harm nodded, the grin slipped, "It had to be done. But her death was not in vain. Just as the 'its' deaths will not be. Harm will bring a new order!" He then charged.

"GO!" yelled La'gaan. They kicked the horses into a gallop. Wil-Harm didn't stand a chance.

"The its cannot escape from Harm forever!" The psycho screamed from the smoky cloud.

They galloped away, not daring to look back. Finally, they slowed, allowing the horses to take a breather. La'gaan rubbed his large eyes and gills. "That was your friend?! And what about his sister?"

Bart looked down, still trying to process all that had happened. "He-he killed her! She didn't do anything wrong. I found her in their house, slaughtered like an animal." He glanced back in the direction of the burning village. "I should run back and dispose of him. Make him suffer."

La'gaan side-passed Sphere over closer and laid a hand on Bart's shoulder. "No, that's not how you operate." His red eyes bored into Bart's. "We complete the mission, then send every knight on the lookout for the monster so they can bring him to justice." Bart nodded hesitantly.

La'gaan was right. He didn't think he could ever kill another person. He'd seen death on a regular basis back home. He could never see himself as a cause of pain and fear.

* * *

The green scenery began to fade into muted, dusty browns. Trees changed into small dry bushes, the well-worn trail melded into a dusty, almost invisible, path. Without the shade and barrier created by the trees, the sun felt overwhelming. The ground lost its grass and hills, changing to a flat, dusty desert. They had arrived at the El Paso desert. Because of its dry climate, the population of the area was small. Most of the traffic attributed to the travelers going to the coastal regions as cutting through the desert was the quickest way. But there were a few self-governing towns that braved the heat.

"Cutting across the desert unfortunately will be the fastest way to the coast, from there we can get to Atlantis." Bart informed La'gaan. "But if the heat is too much, we can go around. That adds at least four extra days."

La'gaan itched his gills. "It'll be fine." He stated dryly. "I just need to stay hydrated that's all. We can make it." It was the most he'd spoken in days.

Bart nodded. "There's towns we can stop at to refill our water supplies and the nights are fairly cool so they'd be a nice relief from the heat."

So they rode further in the dust. Despite the sun and endless flatlands they made good pace. After a day of travel they came to a small town. Bart wanted to be able to wash the dust out of his hair and off his face. La'gaan would be able to rinse out his gills, he'd been scratching at them more than usual. The horses needed a place to stand that wasn't the tough desert rock. La'gaan donned his hooded cape while Bart got them set up at an inn. He managed to secure a room for them to share and a spot in the stable for Rooster and Sphere.

The inn room was nothing much. It had two small beds with a crate in between them holding a few candles. A wash basin stood in the corner opposite the door. The boys walked in and scarcely closed the door when Bart flung himself on the closest bed. La'gaan began using the clean water from the basin to rinse out his gills. Bart watched, trying to convince his sore body to get up. It wasn't working. La'gaan finished his washing and sat on the other bed. His red eyes slipped shut. Bart supposed the cool of the room was a welcome relief. La'gaan's scales were beginning to look dry. He needed to get back to the ocean.

"Your scales look dry. Are you feeling okay?" Bart asked. "They don't hurt do they?"

La'gaan scratched his arm fins. "They itch, but they don't hurt. I've never been out of the water so long and this heat isn't ideal."

"Take all the water you need from the basin. It's been awhile since I've been in such heat. The Twin Kingdoms are warm, but at least there are trees and breezes!" Bart finally convinced his limbs to help him rise and he went to the basin to wash the dust off himself.

La'gaan's large eyes slipped open and watched. Bart heard him ask, "Why would your father send you on this mission?"

Bart paused, confused. "My father?"

"The king. This seems like a long uncomfortable mission for a prince."

"Oh, King Barry isn't my father, he's like an uncle. He took me in when my parents died."

"I heard you explain all that to the king in Gotham. But honestly it sounds like a load of chum. I assumed the connection was more complicated, you were an estranged son or something."

Bart finished washing his face. He dried it and turned to face La'gaan. "The truth sounds crazier, trust me."

"Try me."

"I'm from the future. I'm Barry's grandson."

"Grandson? Neptune's beard!" La'gaan sat up in full attention. "He doesn't even have kids yet."

" _Yet_ being the key word."

"Well, how did you get here? This is like the past for you!"

"The help of a wizard and a broken hourglass."

There was a pause before La'gaan asked, "Why did you come back here? It must be boring compared to where you came from."

Bart debated what to say next. He hadn't even told Barry the truth. He'd told him it was an irreversible accident. Who knew what could possibly happen if he told the truth about the future. It might be preventable or it could get worse. There was no way to tell. All he knew was that the wizard warned him to be careful in what he revealed. He had a duty to prevent the future. _The current future._

"I, uh-"

Shouting outside interrupted him. He and La'gaan dashed over to the window and peered out. A crowd of people gathered outside the church building holding torches and waving various farming tools.

"What in Neptune's beard is going on?" Hissed La'gaan. "Is this how they worship their gods on land?"

"Not that I've seen," Bart whispered back. "Look, someone's coming out."

A figure in priest's robes slipped through the door and paused on the threshold. "Citizens, disperse immediately. You will only disrupt our progressions as we have the problem well in hand." Another voice, this time from the crowd, rang out,

"Well in hand?! Every moment you allow it to live it poses a greater threat to our village! I say we go ahead and kill the demon!" The rest of the crowd growled in agreement.

"Demon?" Bart muttered. He was intrigued.

The crowd began pressing in on the priest, who tried to block the door. But the angry mob shoved through, a few men held the priest against the doorway while others ran inside the church. The rest of the crowd began jeering and shouting curses against the demon and the priests for sheltering him. The priest managed to pull away from his captors and stand tall in the doorway.

"You don't fully understand what you're dealing with! You cannot kill a demon, we are attempting to exorcise it. Only our God can strangle it!"

This only served to make the crowd angrier, someone threw a rock at the priest, almost striking his head. Other rocks began flying, hitting the church and almost hitting the priest, who ducked inside. A few moments later the villagers exited the building, dragging a dark-haired, dusty-skinned boy with them. The windowsill splintered in La'gaan's grip.

"They've got a kid in there! He can't be any older than you!"

Bart took offense, "Hey! I'm not a kid!"

La'gaan wasn't paying attention. His angry red eyes were focused on the scene outside, more specifically the boy. His head hung over his skinny torso which was so thin you could count his ribs. Strange scar patterns covered his upper arms and shoulders. Nothing about him screamed demon.

Following the mob, a taller, bearded man in robes stepped out of the church. "Stop this madness! You will return the demon to the church. You cannot kill him by human means! The demon is powerless in the presence of the church."

The mob remained unconvinced. The men holding the boy refused to release him. The older priest continued. "You will have your justice, your safety will be returned to you." He gestured to the limp body. "Allow the clergy to handle the matter. You cannot destroy it yourselves, you will only succeed in enraging it, bringing doom upon you and your families."

The crowd began whispering amongst themselves. Some of them seemed to doubt their mission. The men holding the boy looked unsure of what to do. Finally, a villager spoke, "Fine! But we want it out of our midst soon! If you won't do something about it, we will!" The men dropped the boy's body onto the ground and the crowd began to disperse. The two priests lifted the boy and disappeared into the church.

La'gaan threw his hands up in frustration. "If he's so dangerous, why didn't he move and strike them all down there?!" He began pacing the small room. Bart could only watch.

"We don't what he could have done before we got here." He said weakly. "The townspeople seemed truly frightened."

His suggestion didn't appease the Atlantean, who continued pacing and muttering words Bart couldn't understand.

"La'gaan, we can't do anything now. Let's get something to eat, then we'll find out what's going on. We're not going to think rationally on empty stomachs and heated heads."

Thankfully the other agreed. They decided Bart would go down to the kitchen and bring the food back up to their room so La'gaan wouldn't have to sneak down in his cloak. Bart didn't want to risk having the people panic about the other boy too.

"They'd have a time with me." La'gaan remarked. "Believe me, green scales and fins and red eyes don't do a guy many favors anywhere."

Bart went down to wait in the stuffy common eating room for their food. It was already pretty full of people. He recognized a few of the patrons as members of the mob. He was ready to leave this dustbowl and be at the coast. The desert reminded him too much of home.

"… do anything about it, we need to kill the monster ourselves!"

Bart forced himself back to the present. The members of the crowd were muttering around the table. "Tonight, after the nightly bell we'll get in. The church doors are always open for 'prayer' and 'absolution' and whatnot. We can send somebody in there as a decoy while the rest of us sneak into the back room where they're keeping it."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement. Bart scarcely noticed the woman signaling him to come get his food. He ran as fast as he could without super speeding up the stairs. La'gaan jumped when he zoomed in the door. He tossed the food onto his bed and rushed to the window.

"The villagers are going to sneak into the church and kill him!"

"Kill who? The 'demon'?" La'gaan demanded. "We've got to do something."

Bart nodded, watching the church door. "I overheard their plan, we've got to act fast, before tonight."

* * *

Being new in town, the boys had no idea when the nightly bell went off. But Bart learned from the girl in the kitchen that there was an evening bell to signal the market closing and a night bell to cue everyone inside for the night. There were approximately three hours between the evening and night bells.

La'gaan stationed himself and the horses just outside the town. Bart stood outside the church. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The inside of the church was less dusty than outside, there were several wooden pews facing a simple podium with a cross hung on the wall behind it. Torches on the walls softly illuminated the small room. On either side of the cross, near the far ends of the wall, were doors. They had to be keeping the boy behind one of them. Bart closed his eyes and focused. He tapped into his speed and ran forward.

By accident, while playing tag with Wally, he discovered he could run through walls with his speed. It required a lot of focus, he didn't try it too often. But tonight, he was successful. In the blink of an eye he dashed through the rooms. The door on the left led to the priests' quarters. Both men were leaned over books. Bart phased out of the room and back into the main area. _Must be door number two then._ The next door was thicker, Bart concentrated harder.

 _I'm in!_ His celebration fell short of the sight before him. This room was dark, save for the beam of moonlight coming through a barred window. The boy was unconscious and hung by chains on his wrists attached to the wall. A metal gag of sorts was forced over his nose and mouth. His skin showed a sickly grey undertone and his breaths came in short gasps.

Bart didn't expect chains. _Mode! Where are the keys?_ He sped back through the priests' room and snatched them off the wall. Quickly, he unlocked the cuffs. He caught the boy, who felt way too light, and super sped back outside. He paused a moment to let the dizziness pass before running with the unconscious boy to the edge of the city.

La'gaan slid off Sphere when he saw them approach. He helped Bart push the boy onto Sphere and he climbed up behind him. Bart mounted Rooster and they spurred the horses into the desert.

 **AN: W-w-what's this? A chapter? Finally? Wow! Thanks so very much for being patient. I overcame the writer's block and my family is all back in order. Just so you know I will be going back and deleting the author's note that are their own chapters in the near future, so if it appears there are chapters missing later, that's why! Have a Merry Christmas!**


	13. Chapter 11

Bart's eyes stung with dust as they galloped through the desert. But they couldn't stop yet. They didn't know if the villagers would try to track down their captive, just in case they did, he and La'gaan wanted to put as much distance as they could between them and the town. Despite the swift, jarring ride, the unconscious captive did not stir. White foam dripped from the horses' lips, their necks shined with sweat. Their nostrils flared, but their feet kept moving. Finally, Bart signaled for them to slow down. He pulled Rooster to a walk. La'gaan did the same with Sphere, clutching the unconscious body with a green arm to balance it. Bart squinted into the distance.

"If that isn't a mirage, I think there's a watering hole up ahead. We can check on him there!" His voice was rough from all the dust. La'gaan nodded. His gills were covered in dust and dirt, Bart noticed, water would do him some good too. Out of the corner of his eye he could see La'gaan swaying slightly, his red eyes kept slipping shut periodically. "You doing alright?" Bart asked softly. La'gaan lazily looked over,

"Huh? I'm fine, just a little hot is all."

Bart wasn't convinced, but he didn't want to pester the other boy. "I bet you can't wait to get back to Atlantis. Get away from the dry heat."

La'gaan shrugged, "Yeah, I dislike feeling so dry all the time."

"Are you anxious to see your family? They're probably worried about you."

"Sort of? I don't really have a family, not trying to sound pitiful. My," he swallowed, "my parents died when I was younger, my mother did at least. I don't know about my father, he left when I was really young."

"Oh…" whoops, nice going big mouth, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's, it's alright. In Atlantis, at home, if you don't have a parent they assign you to someone who'll look after you. A man named Alekos took me in. He's great, a little old and senile, but still great."

The rest of the walk to the watering hole was silent. Bart felt bad for making La'gaan uncomfortable. He seemed to have a knack for it. Thankfully it wasn't a mirage and a watering hole surrounded by small trees providing shade. They stopped, Bart dismounted and ran over to La'gaan. He helped lift the dark haired boy off Sphere and laid him on the ground near the water. He pulled a rag out of his saddlebag and soaked it in the water. He squeezed it before gently wiping the dried blood off the boy's face and neck. Still no response. Until he touched the back of the boy's neck. A blue claw grabbed his wrist. Bart was too petrified to scream.

The claw seemed to emerge from under the boy, on his back. It looked like a beetle's leg with pinchers on the end. It was a brilliant blue in color. La'gaan glanced over and immediately ran to Bart's aid. He grabbed the leg and a half of the pincher and tried to pull them off.

Even with La'gaan's straining, its grip didn't loosen. "Neptune's beard!" The Atlantean let go. "I'm going to try something alright? Stay still,"

"I don't have much of a choice," Bart said through gritted teeth. Something even weirder began to happen, La'gaan closed his eyes and glowing markings appeared on his shoulders and arms. Then he began to grow, not taller per say, puffier. Once again he grabbed the bug leg and pulled. This time it had an effect. The claw's grip on Bart's arm loosened. Bart pulled and broke free. The leg and claw retreated underneath the boy. La'gaan closed his eyes and gradually 'deflated' back to his usual size.

"Wha-"

"Later. What the heck was that?" La'gaan stepped back from the boy lying on the ground. "It was like a leg or something."

"Maybe he really is a demon or something," Bart muttered.

Just then, the boy sat straight up and screamed. This caused Bart and La'gaan to jump back, Bart posed, ready to speed run them both away if necessary. The dark haired boy began vigorously rubbing his ears and the back of his neck.

"Cállate, cállate, cállate!"

Bart looked at La'gaan. _What do we do?_ Bart cautiously walked up to the panicking boy, he slowly extended his arm to touch his shoulder. But when he made contact, a hard blue coating covered the boy's shoulder and arm. Bart jerked away as if he'd been burned. But the contact caused the shaking boy to still and quiet down. He tentatively lowered his arms from his head. His dark brown eyes scanned the desert scene before settling on La'gaan and Bart.

"Quién eres tú?"

Bart face palmed. "Another language barrier. Wonderful. Charades can't explain, 'hey, we kidnapped you from a church where a bunch of people were going to lynch you, but I promise we're friendly!'" La'gaan itched at his gills.

"You've communicated before just fine."

"YOU could apparently speak English!"

"Lo siento, but where are we? Who are you two?" A weak, accented voice asked.

Bart and La'gaan looked down, the boy looked more alert and present. The blue coating had disappeared, leaving olive skin in its place. He glanced around the trees and the small body of water before asking again, "Where are we?"

Bart blinked, "Um, I'm Bart and this is La'gaan." He gestured to the green boy who gave a small wave. "And we're somewhere near the east end of the El Paso Desert. Far away from that freaky town."

The dark-haired boy pushed himself up onto his feet. "I'm Jaime. I'm from that 'freaky' town. Or was anyway. But those _grima,_ they're afraid of me." He pointed to his back, "Or rather, _him._ "

Bart gasped as Jaime turned around. Embedded in his the skin of his lower back was a bright blue bug, a scarab. It looked to be attached to his spine, with three legs piercing on each side. He winced, it looked painful. "What is it?"

La'gaan reached out and with a webbed hand, gently touched the scarab. "It's not cold, is it alive? Like some kind of parasite?"

Jaime turned back to face them. "Honestamente? I don't know." He lowered himself back onto the ground. "It started when this man, an explorador, came to town a few months ago. He held a small exhibition of his findings. This," Jaime pointed to the scarab on his back, "was one of the things. Later, that night, I was coming back from helping a man across town when I heard voices, angry voices, coming from the inn. I paused a moment, then there was a loud noise and a flash of light. I was in pain, my back hurt, my vision went spotty, and my ears were ringing. I woke up in the church with the doctor and priests. The artifact had attached itself to me and the explorador was found dead in his room, a fire had broken out. They couldn't loosen the scarab's grip. They sent me home, but strange things began happening. I kept waking up in random places, having blackouts. My neighbors told my padres that they saw me pacing the neighborhood late at night. Others told them I was destructing their market stalls. But about a month ago I woke up in one of the sheep fields covered in blood." Jaime stopped and swallowed. "Twenty sheep were slaughtered. The owner claimed I was possessed. A crowd came to our house throwing rocks and shouting. I couldn't let my family be hurt, so I left. I hid in the desert but they found me and dragged me back to the church. They'd convinced the priests of my possession too. Then the exorcismos, _exorcisms,_ began. I, I honestly don't remember much after that."

La'gaan pulled a canteen from his saddlebag and filled it from the watering hole, he handed it to Jaime. The desert boy drank it down quickly. He poured some onto his hands and wiped off his face. "Gracias. I know it sounds loca, but it's all true."

"Believe me." Said La'gaan. "It's not the craziest thing I've heard."

"What about your family?" Bart asked, "Why didn't they try to help you? Are they safe?"

Jaime stiffened. He handed the canteen back to La'gaan. "At first my mother and sister protested on my behalf." He scratched at his right shoulder. "But my father wanted nothing to do with me after this entire mess started. I think he believed them."

Bart and La'gaan glanced at each other, unsure how to respond. Bart couldn't imagine the hurt the desert boy had suffered. In his own era, groups would cast out 'weak' or 'troublesome' members. He needed to be careful, to be useful enough to benefit from the safety of a group. But a group of strangers, _survivors,_ was so much different than a family. In a way he feared his grandfather would tire of him. It was a silly thought, it wasn't Barry's nature. He'd never get rid of him unless he killed someone or something. But those thoughts still swam around in his mind occasionally.

"Is there anyone we can take you? Do you have family elsewhere?" Bart hesitantly asked.

Jaime shook his head. He ran a hand through his dark hair, "No. I'm unsure what to do. The demonio is unpredictable. He takes control randomly and I'm unable to stop him, I can't go back, but I'm afraid I'd just cause trouble anywhere else."

La'gaan spoke up, "We're going to my home, Atlantis. It's a home to many sorcerers and magic-users. One of them may be able to help you."

Jaime shrugged, "Bien. I don't have anything to lose." He winced and gripped his ears, "Silencio!" Bart and La'gaan eyed each other. What was going on? Jaime relaxed and rubbed his temples. "Lo siento." He sighed, "The _escarabajo_ has a mind of its own." His dark eyes narrowed, "And it's not afraid to voice it!"

La'gaan snapped his jaw shut. "… Okay then." He turned to Bart, "We should allow the horses to drink and refill our canteens before continuing." His red eyes gazed over the hills of rolling dust. "It's at least another day of travel, most likely two."

Bart nodded, "Agreed." He sat down and leaned against one of the trees. "I'm going to doze for a few minutes. You two might want to do the same." His eyes slipped closed, the occasional snorts of the horses, and La'gaan and Jaime's soft chatter lulled him into sleep.

Something touched him, _probably a fly,_ he lazily swatted his shoulder, but the touch persisted. He swatted again, but harder. "Ouch! You βλάκας!" Bart forced his eyes open.

"Hi La'gaan," he stretched, nearly smacking the green boy again. "You ready to get moving?"

La'gaan shot him a dirty look while rubbing his face, "You'll pay for that chum."

Jaime looked a lot better. Color filled his skin and his eyes looked much brighter. They mounted the horses, La'gaan rode Sphere, while Bart and Jaime shared Rooster. The sun's rays began to ease as the evening fell upon the desert. The heat of the day slipped into a cool, breezy night. The dust took on a white hue, illuminated by the beams of the moon.

After a day and a half, the dunes began to shrink, bushes and sparse patches of grass took their place. By nightfall they were completely out of the El Paso Desert. Jaime craned his neck to glance back once more at the shrinking desert.

"I've never left the desert before. I don't believe anyone in the village has." He remarked. La'gaan unwrapped himself from his cloak.

"Chum, I'd be happy to never cross the desert again. It was almost as miserable as the first time." He scratched his gills. "Sand and dust everywhere! In my eyes, fins, and gills! The sun constantly beating down on you and drying everything out! No offense, but if you go back, don't count on me visiting!"

Bart frowned, "The first time?" He asked.

La'gaan stilled. "Yeah, y'know. When Godfrey caught me. His caravan cut through the desert. I don't remember much, they didn't keep me hydrated. I just remember being dry, scratchy, and sick." He looked down at Sphere's neck and didn't say anything else.

Jaime poked Bart's rib and leaned forward to whisper, "Who's Godfrey? And what'd he do to the chico de pescado?"

Bart whispered back, "Godfrey runs a freak show-"

"Say no more."

The greenery thickened the further they rode from the desert. Tall, intertwining branches from the trees provided a barrier from the sun. After riding for several more hours, they stopped for the day near a small stream. Jaime almost immediately fell asleep in the soft grass. La'gaan propped his head on a saddlebag and closed his red eyes. He definitely looked more relaxed than he'd been over the past few days Bart noticed. The red-haired boy sat on the bank, watching the horses drink. Their small caravan would reach the coast in two days possibly one. He hoped La'gaan had some idea of what to do next. He and Jaime couldn't breathe underwater so he had no clue of how they'd get there. The best course of action looked to send La'gaan to the king with the message. He'd discuss it with him when he woke up.

Despite his kidnapping and abuse on land, the green fish boy didn't seem to be in a hurry to return home. _His family must be worried sick. Yet he refuses to talk about them or home._ No one on the surface knew much about the mysterious water dwellers and their culture. King Orin, the current ruler, was the first king in centuries to make contact with the land. Bart knew from his uncle that the move made many Atlanteans unhappy. Most wanted to remain isolated from the surface world. Despite the alliance, no one knew much about the world underneath the waves.

Sphere's head shot up. Her ears twitched, high and alert. Rooster raised his head, his nostrils flared, muscles tense, ready to bolt. Bart super sped over to grab them. "What is it?" He followed the equines' gaze, but couldn't see anything in the foliage. "It was probably just a squirrel or something." He stroked their necks and after a few moments, they resumed their eating. When he was sure they didn't plan on running, Bart zipped into the forest. He paused. Birds chirped. Branches rustled in the wind. Other than that, nothing. After a final scan of the bushes, he ran back to their campsite. The horses were still eating and the other boys hadn't moved at all. _I'm tired, so I'm just jumpy._ He reasoned with himself. He loosely tied the horses to a tree before laying down and drifting off.

"Para, PARA!"

Bart shot up. It was darker now, the trees acted as a barrier securing the darkness. He blinked rapidly, willing his eyes to adjust quicker. When they did, he could see Jaime tossing nearby. He leapt to his feet and zipped over. He placed a hand on the desert boy's shoulder. His skin felt cold and clammy covered in a freezing sweat, his dark brows drawn tightly together in agony. Within moments of Bart's hand touching him, Jaime jerked up and with incredible strength, flung Bart several feet into a tree.

Dark spots flared in his vision. Chimes rang in his ears. He forced himself to sit up. His blood ran cold as he met a familiar pair of yellow eyes. Familiar flight senses flared in full force at the sight of _Blue Beetle._

* * *

Despite every nerve within him screaming at him to _run,_ he couldn't force his legs to move. Blue Beetle stood in the clearing, just staring. Bart's jaw tightened, his mouth felt dry. His heart sped up. His limbs began to vibrate.

Blue Beetle began to move closer. Bart tried to move, but his body still refused to cooperate. He tried to yell, but his voice failed him. The beetle stopped a couple yards away.

"Bart, are you alright?"

The question caught him off guard. Not only the question, but the tone. It was conversational versus the commanding, rough, mocking voice he had heard on a daily basis. And how in Hades did he know his name? Blue Beetle wasn't supposed to be around for at least another few decades.

"Bart? Hermano, are you alright?"

Everything around him felt slow, slower than normal. Somebody kept talking to him, but they sounded like they were underwater. _He_ felt like he was underwater. His limbs were too heavy and his head felt too large for his body. Way too large, he blinked and he was on the ground. How did he get on the ground? How did _Blue Beetle_ get so close? He should run…

"BART! Breathe!"

Various shades of green filled his vision. Heavy, scaled hands rested on his shoulders.

"Focus on my voice, breathe, it's all good chum."

Breathing, that's doable. _But where's Blue Beetle?!_

"He's gone for now." The hands let go of him and had him lean back against a tree. "Breathe."

His vision began to focus, his ears cleared up. The trees rustled around him, birds chirped. _Trees? Birds?_ Right. He was in the forest on a mission for Barry. The green person returned, _La'gann!_ Bart sat up. "Where's Blue Beetle? Where'd he come from?"

La'gaan handed him a canteen. "Welcome back chum. Drink that before anything else."

The water moistened his mouth and throat, loosening his tongue. His vision quit whirling all the colors and shapes together. The little bells in his head quit ringing. La'gaan sat in front of him. When did _he_ get here? He gulped down another drink of water. Finally, he felt present in his body again.

"You back?"

"I think so." Bart jerked to attention, "Where he'd go? Where's Blue Beetle? Is Jaime okay?!"

La'gaan pulled him back to the ground. "Sit… this is going to be tougher than coral to explain. Listen, this… Blue Beetle, he's not here exactly."

"But, I saw him!"

"That demon inside Jaime, it covers him in this strange armor. He then is able to wield powers that I've never seen!"

" _Jaime_ is _BLUE BEETLE?_ " His lungs grew tight. Jaime seemed normal. Bart couldn't connect the fearful, soft-spoken desert boy with the torturous, cruel Blue Beetle.

"I mean he is blue. And beetle-like now that you mention it."

"Where'd he go?"

"He buzzed off to give me some time to calm you down." La'gaan glanced off into the clouds before pinning his stare on Bart. "Now, if you're able, please explain. There is obviously something about all this that upsets you and if you're not up to give the entire story, fine. But we need a minimal explanation."

Bart avoided looking at the Atlantean. He fought to keep from panicking. He picked at blades of grass, piling them next to his foot. When he had built a small mountain, he felt ready to speak up. "Back home…" He stopped building his pile, "My home in my time is dictated by a race unlike any other, _the Reach._ Blue Beetle," He hissed, "Is their main enforcer. He's a monster." Bart rested his head on his knees, trying to fight off the painful memories.

La'gaan stayed quiet. He crawled over and awkwardly wrapped a finned arm around Bart. Bart leaned into the green boy. They sat there, in the grass for several minutes. Breaking the silence, La'gaan spoke. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. But, Jaime seems trustworthy. He's genuinely upset that he threw you." He patted Bart's shoulder and stood up. "There must be more than one _Blue Beetle._ We just rescued Jaime because he isn't a monster." He walked away, into the woods.

A few minutes after La'gaan left, Bart uncurled. _I need to find Jaime. He can't be Blue Beetle, La'gaan's right. There must be more than one or something other logical explanation._

He stood, then sped off after La'gaan.

* * *

He found both of the other boys sitting near the river. Their chatter died down when he sat beside them. "I'm sorry Jaime, for my reaction. I just-"

Jaime held up a hand, "No worries Hermano. La'gaan explained. I will try to keep better control of the demon so he doesn't switch into his armored form."

Bart nodded, grateful for the easy acceptance.

"I have pesadillas, _nightmares,_ about the church, the villagers, the dead sheep…" Jaime rubbed his wrist.

"I get them too." Bart replied softly. "My old home was a living nightmare."

Jaime gazed at the water in thought. "But, you're doing better now? You live with your tio, your uncle, the king?"

Bart nodded. "Barry's great. He and Iris are patient with me. And the captain of the guard Jay and his wife Joan are wonderful."

Jaime smiled. "Maybe I will get to meet them someday."

Bart looked on the bank, La'gaan was missing. "La'gaan?" He called out, peering into the darkness. "Where'd you go? You can come join the Nightmare Club."

All of a sudden, he felt very cold and damp. The redhead sputtered and wiped the water from his eyes. La'gaan stood knee-deep in the river bent over laughter. Jaime joined in, snickering. Until he too was splashed with a wave of water.

"Aah! Chico de pez estupidio!" He growled at La'gaan. Blue armor encased his right arm and jerked towards the Atlantean. Jaime pulled back and pressed his arm against his chest. "No lo hagas!" He gritted his teeth and the armor retracted. "He's not a threat!" the boy hissed. His grip around his right arm tightened.

"The scarab?" Bart asked cautiously.

Jaime nodded. "He perceives every little action against me a threat." He allowed his arm to rest at his side. "Violence is his first inclinación."

La'gaan sloshed over. "You chum-heads gonna fight back?"

Bart met Jaime's eye. The dark-haired boy grinned. Together they jumped into the river. Cold water splashed over the three. Before La'gaan could react, Bart and Jaime began splashing him nonstop. For the next few minutes the boys just splashed each other, laughing and shouting. Water soaked the boys and mixed with the grass on the river bank. La'gaan recovered from the assault and ran a few feet down the river. Jaime wiped water from his brow. "Giving up?" He called after La'gaan.

La'gaan turned to face them. His mouth turned upwards into a grin, his red eyes glinted in the moonlight. "No, just recharging!" He plunged both his hands into the water and closed his eyes. He began to chant and hum in a strange language. It didn't sound like the Atlantean words Bart had heard from La'gaan before. The water surrounding La'gaan began to glow and churn. His fins also began glowing. Tattoos etched themselves onto his scales. Suddenly, he straightened up and yelled.

Bart could only watch in shock as a wave rushed towards him and Jaime. They didn't have time to get out of the way. The world went silent as Bart was encased in water. He was submerged for several seconds before he was able to stand. His lungs burned from the sudden barrage of water. Jaime emerged a few feet away coughing. Bart wiped the water from his eyes. La'gaan stood with his arms crossed and chest puffed out. He grinned. "I win chums!"

"Dios mio!" Jaime exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

La'gaan sauntered over. "Most Atlanteans have this… connection to water. We're able to manipulate it. Our queen is one of the most powerful sorcerers that has ever existed. Her magical abilities are legendary."

Jaime looked impressed. "Well, what you did just there was amazing! Do it again? Maybe just not all over Bart and me this time."

"Sorry, but I haven't tried anything like that in a while, I'm exhausted. But I promise when we get to the ocean I'll do it again, okay?" La'gaan offered.

Bart coughed to get their attention. "I'm impressed too, but I'm also dripping wet. We should head back into the woods and build a fire before Jaime or I catch pneumonia.

After the fire was built, they managed to dry off rather quickly. After eating a quick meal, they settled down in their sleeping packs and drifted off.

Bart couldn't stay asleep. Blue Beetle haunted his nightmares. He tossed and turned, unable to settle. Instead of sleeping, he stared at the dying light of the fire. He'd spent many nights shivering in the cold because the light and smoke from a fire would attract soldiers' attention. His group would huddle together for warmth. He inched closer to the fire. Jaime lay several feet away asleep. Every so often his eyes would tighten and his mouth would grimace for a split second. Then he would relax and still. La'gaan slept directly behind Bart, curled in a tight ball with his finned arms over his head. Fires to a certain extent made him uncomfortable. They gave off heat and heat meant dryness. The Atlantean's presence was a comfort to Bart. He felt safe between a warm fire and a friend. Ever so slowly, his eyelids grew heavy and his muscles relaxed, allowing him to finally slip into sleep.

They got an early start in the morning, after a quick breakfast. Bart could sense when they neared the coast. The winds became stronger and carried the scent and sting of salt. The grasses grew taller, the trees became fewer, giving way to small rolling hills. A sign stood at a crossroads, pointing the way to small, coastal towns. Bart looked to La'gaan. "Which would give best access to Atlantis?"

La'gaan closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and gestured to the left. "Let's ride to Faycliff. Atlantis is rather far out and deep in the ocean, but I believe their shore borders the closest to the location of Atlantis."

"Sounds good to me." Bart replied. They rode on.

A single main street led into Faycliff. Fish monger and jewelry carts populated the street with the merchants shouting their wares. Sweet smells of baked goods and candies mixed with the wind's salty scent. La'gaan pulled his hood up to disengage any stares. Bart glanced behind him to see Jaime's brown eyes widened in delight and awe. The desert boy's head snapped every which way, trying to take in all the sights and smells. His excitement made Bart feel warm and fuzzy. There would be time for sightseeing after they saw King Orin.

The single road through town was short and quickly led to the docks. The dock hosted a few boats, but most were assumedly out at sea. The boys rode down onto the beach. La'gaan swung off of Sphere, tossed off his cloak, and ran into the ocean. He disappeared beneath the waves before emerging with a smile.

Jaime climbed down. He scooped a palm full of sand and watched it slip from his fingers. He walked down the beach to join La'gaan in the water. They splashed each other and laughed. Bart met the green boy's eyes. La'gaan smirked and his tattoos began to glow. Bart gulped. Then a stream of salt water smacked him in the face, effectively soaking him and Rooster.

His lungs burned as he hacked up water. Rooster snorted and trotted a few paces up the beach. La'gaan's laugh echoed around the beach. Bart ran down to join them in the ocean. The boys splashed each other for around twenty minutes before trudging back onto the beach. Jaime flopped onto the sand.

"I like the ocean." He said simply.

"Me too." Bart replied. He watched the white-capped waves crash against the rocks. Someday, when all of this was over, he was going to try and run across the ocean, to new lands. He believed if he practiced he could do it. La'gaan stood where the water and sand met. He stared blankly into the distance. Bart cleared his throat to get his attention. La'gaan turned. "Are you feeling up to swimming to Atlantis?"

La'gaan scratched his gills, "Yeah, I think so." He began to walk into the water. "I'll do the best I can to get a meeting in the court, but it may take a day or two."

Bart ran over to him and pressed an oiled leather satchel into the green boy's hands. "There's a letter from Barry in there. It should explain enough to get you in."

La'gaan nodded. "Alright. You two head back into the village, wait for me there. I will try to get you an audience." He waded waist deep into the water before disappearing beneath the waves. Jaime and Bart watched for several minutes before leaving the beach.

* * *

They settled at a small inn on the coast, overlooking the vast body of water. A connecting stable housed the horses. After eating dinner the boys went to their room and quickly fell asleep.

Bart peeled his eyes open. Darkness hung over the room, suffocating the slivers of moonlight that creeped through the windows. He scanned the faint outlines of furniture. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering what woke him up. It wasn't a nightmare. They usually had him shooting out of bed in a cold sweat, gasping for air. A faint creak made him pause. A moment of silence passed… nothing. He laid down and rolled onto his side, again he heard a creak. And a slight exhale. Pretending to sleep, he waited. Seconds passed, a minute went by, nothing. Then he felt it. Someone was hovering over him. He swallowed and sat up while swinging his fist. It met with warm flesh. The body hit the floor with a grunt. Bart sped over to the windows and ripped open the curtains. Moonlight cast a blue tint on the room and the figure on the floor.

Their body was thin, but muscular, wrapped in a green toga-like garb. Long black haired splayed over the floor. The figure's face shielded by a grinning cat mask. The figure lunged with a cry, and a huge samurai sword.

He dodged. The sword lodged itself into the windowsill. This caused Jaime to sit up.

"Wha? Bart what's going o-" An orange clad, masked figure held a miniature crossbow at his throat.

"Shut up." A husky feminine voice growled. As Bart's mind raced to find an idea, the dark haired attacker jumped him. Bart's strength wasn't a match for his attacker's. They easily pinned him to the ground and held the sword at his throat.

"Stop fighting." A smooth voice drawled. "It'd be a shame if you accidentally sliced your throat." Another woman. They were getting attacked by assassins, but why?

"Who sent you?" He asked around the blade.

The woman just chuckled and snapped at the woman in orange in another language. Jaime's eyes clenched shut and he began to shake. The woman's grip on him tightened. Then, his eyes snapped open, a yellow color. "NO! No lo hagas!" Before anyone could react, the blue armor covered his body and his right arm shot off a pulse, knocking the woman off of him. While the cat-woman was distracted, Bart began to vibrate, the friction against her hands made her grip too hot. She let go with a yelp and he knocked her off.

"Come on!" He yelled to Jaime. They ran out of the room and down the stairs. As they ran down the main street Bart called to Jaime, "Hop on my back, I can run us out of here."

"No need." Bart's mouth dropped as wings folded out of Jaime's back. "I can fly us out of here." His voice was deeper, it sounded like two voices overlapping each other. Bart hesitated. Those yellow eyes felt so familiar, yet they looked like they belonged to a stranger. Could he trust _Blue Beetle_ to fly them to safety? An arrow whizzing by his head accelerated the decision process.

"Alright, pick me up!"

Blue Be- _Jaime_ grabbed under his arms and flew up. Bart squinted as the air hit his face. _I'm flying!_ Jaime flew above the town and out towards the ocean. "Where are we going?" Bart called.

"To an inlet, it's only a minute away. It would take a few hours by horseback."

Bart marveled at the world below. The houses and buildings were speckled across the landscape. Fishing boats broke up the vast solid blue of the ocean. Jaime turned back towards lands and landed on a small strip of land. Bart's legs felt stringy after landing. "That was amazing! I mean the whole assassins thing was freaky, but the flying… wow! Have you tried it before?"

The armor retracted. Jaime wiped beads of sweat off his forehead. "I didn't even know I could do that." He glanced towards the town's direction. "Who were those women? Why would they come after us?"

"I don't know. I think this confirms King Barry's suspicions of an impending attack."

Jaime tilted his head.

"This entire journey is to have all the leaders in this region to meet to discuss a possible threat. There have been several mysterious attacks with methods unseen. My uncle is worried."

"Do you think they were sent by them? That this misterioso kingdom has spies watching?"

Bart tapped his foot, "I wish I knew for sure."

* * *

 **AN: I'm sorry. Conveniently, I have another excuse. College has been hell, lots of homework and a giant group project. I've been so unmotivated to do anything by the end of the day. But my creativity is beginning to breathe again. The chapters will get longer (cough cough, hopefully) and the action is going to pick up! Thank you for your patience!**


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